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peskygirl13 · 3 years ago

Note

MK SO-

I just got the Pokémon SWSH DLCs and I was wondering what it would be like for some legendary Pokémon to come to twst and cause some trouble(Legendarys I’d like to do ( you c an pick just one: Kyogre, Giratina, or Groudon)

If you can i want it to be just Diasomina!

This turned out longer than I expected and I got so mad with myself because I was almost done with writing this and I accidently deleted all my new work, so I had to start over from my last save point which is one of the reasons it took so long to post.

I’ve been binge playing the old Sinnoh games and rewatching the anime, so this was fun to write (despite me deleting my work).

This will have references to the Pokémon Platinum game, so spoilers if you haven’t played the game and plan to.

Hope you enjoy!

Malleus's favorite time of the day was night time. Night time was the best!

The world was at peace, it was quiet, everything was asleep, save for a few nocturnal creatures much like himself, he could hide from SIlver and Sebek and have some time to himself, and there were no students or humans who would see him and run away in terror.

But his favorite thing about night time was probably when he got to visit his favorite human, (Y/n).

Their situation was a bit odd, having appeared out of nowhere from a world full of creatures called Pokémon, but Malleus didn't care. They weren't afraid of him. After spending a lifetime of having people fear him due to his name, it was a nice change.

Malleus arrived at the Ramshackle dorm to find you already sitting outside, cleaning your Empoleon's feathers.

"Greetings, Child of Man." He greeted, happily walking up to you.

"Hey, Tsunotaro." You smiled, putting down Empoleon's brush to wave at him.

That was another thing Malleus adored about you. Even after finding out who he was, you still didn't fear him and continued calling him by that amusing nickname you gave him.

You both entered the dorm, along with Empoleon, and he was instantly greeted with the rest of your strange creatures. Luxray, Togekiss, Glaceon, Garchomp, and Lucario.

You headed over to the kitchen to make some tea while he got comfortable on the couch. Once he was seated, Garchomp laid its head on Malleus's lap, implying that it wanted scratches.

By the time you had returned with two mugs of steaming tea, all the other Pokémon had already gotten comfortable and most had fallen asleep.

You handed Malleus his mug before sitting down in your chair. Glaceon hopped up and curled up in your lap before falling back asleep.

After you both got comfortable, you began regaling Malleus with stories of your world.

Malleus loved hearing your stories.

From your gym battle challenges to your contests. Catching all your Pokémon and even receiving an egg from a woman named Cynthia that hatched into a Togepi that which layer evolved into your beloved Togekiss.

Malleus has never left the Valley of Thorns, except for school, so he enjoyed hearing about your travels. Your freedom to journey and see so many different places, never being tied down, he envied it.

“May I see your badges and ribbons again?” He asked.

“Sure.” You agreed, getting up to grab them.

At the movement, Glaceon, rather huffily, got up from your lap and moved to Malleus, curling up on his lap instead. He instantly started stroking her with one hand while the other continued scratching Garchomp. He only stopped when you handed him your badge and ribbon case.

He immediately opened them both and admired your impressive 7 badges and 5 sparkling ribbons.

You had told him that even though you had collected the required number of ribbons, you were transported to Twisted Wonderland before you could compete in the Grand Festival. You also hadn’t yet had the chance to earn your 8th and final gym badge, which allowed you to challenge the Elite Four and the Sinnoh Champion.

“They are very impressive, Child of Man.” Malleus complemented.

Even though there wasn’t a gym challenge or contests in Twisted Wonderland, Malleus could tell how much value each badge and ribbon you earned had.

“Thanks, Tsunotaro.” You beamed, positively preening at the complement. “Maybe when I find a way home you could come with me and have your own journey. There are a bunch of dragon type Pokémon I bet you’d like. Maybe your starter could be an Axew. Or a Dino. Maybe a Gible seeing how well you get along with Garchomp. There are also rock or electric types. OOH- Maybe a fairy type!”

Malleus tuned your rambling out. His head was both empty and racing.

Him? Go on a journey in another world? The idea was preposterous! Yet... also tempting.

Traveling around with no chains. Nobody knowing who he was, thus no one quivering at the sight of him. No overbearing, but well meaning, guards to coddle him. He liked this idea!

Unfortunately, he didn’t have long to dwell on the tempting daydream when Ramshakle’s door slammed open with a loud bang.

“WAKA-SAMA!!!”

Speak of the devil.

You and Malleus turned to the doorway to a disheveled and hysterical looking Sebek and a normal sleepy looking Silver.

“Sebek.” Malleus greeted, hiding his annoyance of being interrupted during his time with his Child of Man.

“Waka-sama, you mustn’t leave without telling us! What if something happens to y-”

The half-fae was cut off by and ice beam, freezing him solid. You and Malleus looked over at Glaceon who was angry about having her sleep disturbed for a third time. Now quite irritated and huffy, Glaceon angrily marched upstairs to try and get some sleep in your room.

“My apologies.” You jumped when Lilia appeared behind you without warning, hanging upside down as usual. “They ran off when I wasn’t looking.”

You looked back at the other Diasomnia residence. Silver had already fallen asleep, using Togekiss’s soft, feathery body as a pillow, while Sebek was slowly beginning to thaw out of the ice.

You wish you could say this is the weirdest thing to ever happen with them.

After having Lucario use force-palm and free Sebek, you all sat down near the fire.

(You left Silver be since he was already asleep.)

Sebek wanted to know what was so fascinating about you that Waka-sama would continuously come visit you.

The only thing you could think of was telling them about your journey.

“After I won my seventh gym badge at Snowpoint, I had to meet my friend, Barry, at Lake Acuity and right after that I had to meet with Professor Rowan and Lucas at Lake Verity.”

“Why did you have to go to those lakes?” Lilia asked, genuinely curious as to what value they had.

“Uh, well-- mmh-- pthbbt.” You tried to think of a way to avoid that question, or at least dance your way around it, and the stuttering and raspberry blowing was obviously helping you be discreet in avoiding the question.

“GLACE!!”

A loud yell echoed from upstairs thatw as loud enough to wake even Silver. You were momentarily grateful that you had been interrupted before realizing ‘Oh shit that’s my Pokémon.”

“Glaceon!” You yelled, bolting from your chair and rushing up the stairs with your Pokémon and the Diasomnia boys at your heels.

You opened your bedroom door with a loud bang and saw Glaceon in a defensive stance, hissing at the mirror with Grim looking frazzled.

“Fgaah! Minion, control your Pokémon! I was asleep and then it started shouting and tried to attack the mirror!” He yelled angrily, before stalking off to the living room to continue sleeping.

You sighed before looking over at the mirror. You held out your arm towards your Pokémon so they knew not to do anything yet. You inched closer to the mirror, pausing only for a second to pet Glaceon and calm her down a bit. You walked forward a few more steps until you were face-to-face with the mirror.

Now that you were closer, you could see the shadow of something moving within the glass. You didn’t know what it was, but it wasn’t Micky. You leaned a bit closer, trying to make out the figure--

“GIRATINA!!”

Everything went black.

The first thing you noticed when you could see again was that you were clearly not in your room. Or your dorm for that matter.

Everything was weird. You weren’t sure of any other way to describe it other than weird.

Weird and familiar.

“The Reverse World.” You muttered, shocked by your sudden return to the feared Giratina’s playground.

You didn’t have long to stay dumbfounded when you remembered the Legendary who lived in this world. You frantically looked around you and saw that your team and the boys were with you, which did nothing to curb your panic. Grim wasn’t with you all, so you assumed hoped that he was still at Ramshackle.

You first woke up your Pokémon. They freaked out for a second before realizing where they were, putting them all on guard. They carefully scanned their surroundings for anything they found threatening while you quickly crawled over to the boys, traying to shake them awake.

“Get up. Guys, get up! We need to move!”

The Diasomnia boys hardly registered what was happening and where they were before you pulled them away. Your team created a barrier around you all as you lead the boys through the strange new world. All they could do was look around wildly.

“Careful, gravity gets weird here.” You warned them.

True to your words, the piece of land you all were walking on started to curve in the air until you all started walking upside down. Even Lilia, who was used to hanging upside down, was a bit thrown off about this.

“What is this place?” Silver asked what everyone was thinking, knowing that you were the only one who could give any of them an answer.

“The Distortion World.” You explained. “Also known as the Reverse World. It’s kind of like the Underworld of my world.”

That explanation only provided them with more questions but went they entered a place that had these large bubbles floating around them they were quickly distracted.

“Hey,” Silver called, gaining everyone’s attention. “This thing has headmaster Crowley in it.”

Said bubble did have a picture of Crowley in his office, working late into the night. Huh. Who know he actually did anything.

Silver raised a hand towards the bubble.

“No, don’t touch it!” You exclaimed. Unfortunately it was a second to late and the bubble popped at the slightest graze of Silver’s fingers.

The boys looked over to you at the sound of you yell, seeing your panicked expression.

“Don’t. Touch. Anything.” You order, stressing out each word. “Everything in this world effects the real world. If you aren’t careful you could kill someone through this place.

The boys looked positively alarmed.

“Will the headmaster be alright?”

You waved off their concern, continuing to lead the way. “He’ll be fine. Popping that bubble didn’t kill him, but it did feel like he was hit with a bowling ball.

“How do you know this? How do you know so much about this place, (Y/n).” Lilia asked, dead serious.

You glance over your shoulder at them before sighing.

Guess it was time to come clean.

“There are some things that happened during my journey that I didn’t tell you guys about.” You confessed.

“While journeying through Sinnoh, I constantly ran into an organization called Team Galactic. Their leader, Cyrus, believed that the world was ugly and needed to be destroyed. His plan was to capture the legendary Pokémon, Palkia and Dialga, and the Lake Guardians, Uxie, Mesprit, and Azelf. Those three were the reason I met Barry and Professor Rowan at the lakes, Lilia, to try and save the Lake Guardians from Team Galactic. Anyway, Cyrus claimed that he was going to create his own, perfect world using the powers of the legendary Pokémon. At least I think that was his plan. He talks like Shakespeare and I have a middle school education. Anyway, before he could create his ‘perfect world’ Giratina appeared and took Cyrus away to here, the Distortion World. This is Giratina’s domain.”

The boys were stunned into silence. They knew you were strong, but for you to have done all that as well as fighting overblots? They were truly impressed.

“What happened afterwards?” Malleus questioned, enthralled by your story.

“Cynthia, the current Sinnoh Champion, and I entered the Distortion World to save Cyrus. Unfortunately, he saw this place as his ideal world and didn’t want to leave. In the end, we had to use force and I beat him in a battle. And, after that, I had to face Giratina itself. But, I don’t know how, but before I could face it, the Dark Mirror called me to Twisted Wonderland.”

You stopped walking, taking a deep breath before turning to face the boys.

“We need to find Giratina. Giratina’s the only Pokémon that can travel between worlds and its the only thing that can get us back to Night Raven.”

Your tone alone was enough to my the Diasomnia boys understand the severity of the situation.

“Human, if this creature is as powerful as you claim, then how do you expect to get it?” Sebek interrogated.

You reached into your pocket and pulled out a purple ball with an ‘M’ on it, showing it the the boys.

“This is a master ball. I stole it from Cyrus’s base when I went to save the Lake Guardians. It can catch any Pokémon without fail. All we need to do is find Giratina.”

“Lucar!”

“Luxray!”

You all turned to Lucario and Luxray who were growling in the same direction. Looking closely, you could see something coming at you all. Your team took their battle stances and sure enough, there was the Angel of Darkness itself, Giratina.

Even Malleus had to admit, that creature was terrifying.

It looked like a dragon and centipede mixed together, but it towered over everything, easily dwarfing them all.

You waisted no time.

“Empoleon, Hydro Cannon!” You ordered. Even Sebek had to admit that your authoritative tone was hard to ignore and resist, full of confidence and superiority.

Empoleon listened without question, fearlessly attacking the towering giant.

“Lucario, Aura Sphere! Glaceon, Ice Beam! Luxray, Thunder! Garchomp, Dragon Rush!”

All your Pokémon attacked at once, hitting Giratina square on. The legendary screeched before firing a move of its own that your team narrowly avoided.

“Great job. Keep attacking!” You ordered shooing the boys out of Giratina’s firing range.

“What do we need to do to help, (Y/n)?” Malleus asked. He was already gripping his pen, ready to fight.

“Nothing. Just stay put and don’t move.” You ordered sternly. The boys were stunned.

“What?! (Y/n) we can help-”

“I know you can help,” You cut off. “But I don’t need to defeat Giratina. I just need to distract it.”

You ran off before they could question what you meant, whistling for your Pokémon.

“Togekiss!” You called, jumping off the edge of the land and easily getting caught by your flying type, who flew you behind Giratina.

You let your team get in one last group attack before throwing the master ball at Giratina.

The legendary effortlessly went in and after a spectacular dive made by you and Togekiss, you caught the ball and returned to the boys.

The boys ran over to you as you climbed off Togekiss, looking at the ball in your hand.

“I can’t believe you actually caught it, human!” Sebek exclaimed, flabbergasted.

“Thanks, Sebek.”

“So what now?” Silver asked. The group all turned to you expectedly and you rolled your eyes before turning around to the wide open space and releasing Giratina from the master ball.

“Giratina,” You called, “Please take us back.”

Giratina stared down at you before letting out an echoing screech and lowing its head to your level.

Immediately understanding what it wanted you to do, you crawled onto its head before waving the boys over.

“C’mon. We its going to take us back.”

Hesitantly, the boys climbed on with your Pokémon and once everyone was on, Giratina soared through the air.

This was different from riding a broom or riding Togekiss, who was happily flying beside you all, but it was exhilarating at the same time.

Too soon for anyone’s tastes, Giratina slowed down to a stop before lowering itself down so that everyone could climb off.

The place were Giratina dropped you all off was a small patch of land with two lakes on it. You and the boys could see your bedroom in one of the lakes, making you realize that you were looking through your bedroom mirror.

“Alright!” You cheered. “Let’s get back.” But before you could step through the reflection, Empoleon called out to you.

“Empoleon!”

“Huh? What is it, Empoleon?”

He was looking in the other lake, pointing at something.

You, your team, and the boys looked through the refection and you couldn’t restrain the gasp that left your mouth.

You could see the Mesprit, the guardian of Lake Verity.

“That’s Mesprit, Lake Verity’s guardian!” You exclaimed, coming to several realizations at once. “That’s close to Twinleaf Town. I-I could go home!”

You turned to your team and the Diasomnia boys, your eyes sparking with both joy and a few unshed tears. “With Giratina we can go home and still stay in Twisted Wonderland!”

Mallues watched you with soft eyes. He had seen a side if you tonight that he had never seen before. Your courage, your confidence, your skill. He had these too, but yours stemmed from experience. This wasn’t something you were taught since you were born like him, these were abilities you learned through trial and error with your team. Something that he wanted.

With a new found determination, Malleus turned to his most trusted knights and friends.

“Lilia, Silver, Sebek,” He began, quickly gaining everyone's attention, “I have decided that until it is time for me to receive the crown from my grandmother, I want to travel (Y/n)’s world with a Pokémon of my own.”

Even you weren’t expecting that announcement.

“WHAT?! WAKA-SAMA ARE YOU FEELING WELL?!?!? WE MUST GET YOU TO AN INFIMERORY!!”

“I’m fine, Sebek. And I’m not joking.”

“WHAAAAAAAT?!?! YOU, HUMAN, YOU HAVE GIVEN WAKA-SAMA THIS DANGEROUS IDEA!!”

“I think its a great idea.”

“MASTER LILIA?!?!”

“zzzzz”

You couldn’t help snorting at the scene in front of you. A rather calm Malleus simply being unmovable about his choice of coming home with you, a hysterical Sebek trying to talk him out of it, an impish looking Lilia who actually supported Malleus’s idea, and a snoozing silver, who could still sleep effortlessly despite the chaos surrounding him.

You leaned up against Empoleon’s belly, him and all your other Pokémon already lying down, knowing that this was going to take a while. Even Giratina was curled up!

But, You thought, watching the group was a soft smile, you know that no matter how much you wanted to go home, you would've missed this. And this, your friends and NRC, was something that you never wanted to lose.

Bonus:

After sorting everything out with Crowley, you returned to your world to reconcile with your friends and your mom. It took some explaining, but bringing Grim back with you as well as Malleus with his magic and horns was enough to convince everyone what happened to you.

Afterwards, you were able to compete in the Grand Festival. You didn’t end up winning, however you did make it to the finals. Your opponent, Dawn, had only beaten you by a few points.

The Diasomnia gang, as well as Grim, the Adeuce combo, and the Pomefiore Trio were all present to see this and couldn’t have been prouder.

Once the Grand Festival had come to a close, you headed over to Sunnyshore City and won your 8th and final Gym Badge, permitting you to challenge the Elite Four and Cynthia.

The Pomefiore Trio didn’t watch these challenges, but the other did.

Their nerves were through the roof when you finally faced Cynthia. And when your Garchomp miraculously out sped her Garchomp with the finishing move nobody cheered louder.

In the end, you took Malleus to the place where you caught Garchomp back when he was still a Gible and caught Malleus his own, whom he unironically named ‘Gargoyle.’

Malleus did have to return to the Valley of Thorns, but not without you promising that the upcoming summer would be the start of his own Pokémon Journey.

I wrote most of this forgetting about Grim, so sorry he doesn’t have a bigger role or more screen time.

Fun story; I got in trouble for writing down my ideas for this at work even though I did it while the store was dead and I’ve worked there for nearly two years and have either written something or drawn something almost every shift I have. Litterally no one but the manager to caught me cares.

And, just to irritate me more (whether she was aware of it or not), said manager takes my writings and decides to read them and then proceeds to put them back in the wrong order before lecturing me.

So, yeah, that was fun.

#ask #twst x pokemon au #pokemon #twisted wonderland au #twisted wonderland x reader #twisted wonderland x pokemon #diasomnia #diasomnia x reader #malleus x reader #malleus draconia #sebek zigvolt #lilia vanrouge #silver #pokemon platinum #pokemon sinnoh

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let-them-read-fics · 4 years ago

Text

Rivalries Of The High Seas

Requested By Anon: "Pirate AU, enemies to lovers."

AU: Pirate

Pairing: Captain!Rosé x Fem!Captain!Reader

Word Count: ~ 7,375

Warnings / Misc. -- Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Major Injury (Inflicted On Reader), Dangerous Situations, Fluff

Disclaimer: This writing is a work of fiction, and no disrespect is meant for those mentioned herein.

A/N: Anon, thank you for this one! I've never seen the movie you mentioned in your request, but you did well in explaining what you wanted to see here. I had a lot of fun with this one, and I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

PS ~ Captain Rosé could step on me and I'd say thank you

♡ Happy Reading ♡

🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤

Death isn't a new thing to you. It isn't some far-off, enigmatic fear capable of tearing down your psyche anytime the topic is brought up. In fact, you're faced with the harsh realities of it almost everyday, given your ranking. Even still, when you woke up this morning, you hadn't expected for the day to consist of you meeting your end.

Your hands remain clasped together tightly, bound to the rickety wooden chair you've been securely strapped into by layers of rope and chains. Your wrists burn as the rough material pulls against your skin, surely leaving dark marks by now, but that's the least of your worries as you eye the bandits standing before you. Their faces hold smug grins, cheeks pulling back in eerie smiles to reveal crooked teeth. "I won't give you the pleasure of seeing me beg for my life. I accept my fate." You say bravely, holding your head high.

"How noble, Captain." They sneer, leaning far too close for comfort. You fight the gag that works its way up your throat at the smell of them, the wicked stench burning your nostrils as it invades them.

"Even if you escape now, the rest of my crew will come for you." Rosé finally speaks from behind you, sitting in the same state as you as she glares at the surrounding men. Her fingers futilely pull at your shared restraints for the millionth time, brushing along your wrist in the process.

"It's cute that you think that matters. We'll be long gone by then."

Her head lightly pushes against yours as she leans back in her chair, seeking to evade the man when he enters her personal space. For some reason unbeknownst to you, your blood boils at his actions -- though Rosé is your enemy of sorts, seeing that she's a rival captain herself, you can't help but want to keep him away from her.

The vile creature parts her legs with an evil smirk on his lips, his filthy hand groping her thigh as he runs his fingers along her beautiful skin. She whimpers in protest, growing afraid of what he'll do to her in her captive state. Had she been unrestricted right now, she would've most definitely cut his hand off, forever reminding the world of his misdeeds.

"Just get it over with!" You shout angrily, voice hoarse from all the screaming you've done today. You've grown tired of the game they've been playing for over an hour, flipping between beating and ridiculing you relentlessly.

"Alright, alright," their leader chuckles, putting his hands up as he approaches you. He instructs his men to be on standby, ready to gather around the two of you and hoist you into the air. They wait for the all-clear to throw you overboard and into the chilly sea below, full of creatures you've seen during your fateful adventures over the years. There are certainly worse ways to go, and you attempt to come to terms with what's about to happen. Perhaps this is a poetic end for you -- being laid to rest in the place that you've spent most of your life and made countless memories.

"Keep those eyes on me as you fall. I want to remember what it looked like to take down the infamous Y/N L/N." You narrow your eyes at their leader, grimacing as they scan over his greasy, jet black hair and tattered overcoat. Aren't the "bad guys" supposed to at least be stylish? He's a sorry excuse for one if so.

"Kiss my ass." You utter, spitting at him. He lunges forward, just like you expected -- seriously, why are men so predictable? -- and takes the collar of your shirt between his fingers. He delivers a swift blow to your left cheek, only allowing you a second to recover before pulling your head back up to give the same treatment to the other side.

You can feel Rosé tense behind you, doing all she can to reach for you and offer comfort.

With a pained groan, you spit out a mouthful of fresh blood and raise your head to look at him again. "You know, you're not nearly as observant as you think you are." You smile, ignoring the pain that shoots through your busted lip. Before he has time to react, you raise your foot in one motion, swiftly connecting it with his crotch. How could they neglect to tie your feet? That's practically Pirate 101.

He doubles over in an instant, lungs void of the air necessary to speak another insult in retaliation to your act and body incapable of any further movement. His men make the decision for him, taking this moment as a sign to follow through with their plan and throw you over. Shouts and cheers pierce through the air above you as you make your quick descent, not even having time to say a goodbye to Rosé or offer a final word to the universe.

Cold water immediately rushes over your heated skin as you plunge into the waves below, its frigid temperature almost taking what little breath you managed to store away in your lungs. Aided by the water's altered state of gravity, you're able to work your hips past a few of the loosely tied ropes that rested against them.

One thing you admire about Rosé is her quick thinking. She's smart -- while you distracted the leader, she took the opportunity to pry off some of the restraints that required more time and effort, just like you hoped she would. Her slender fingers inconspicuously wiggled their way out of the ropes before freeing you from them as well, and the bandits were none the wiser. Her previous actions make this part all the more easy, and after spending a while on the final ties, the two of you kick off of your chairs and head for the surface. It's a struggle, no doubt, with the way you have to fight to bring the chains up with you and keep them from pulling you further under. But eventually you reach the surface, once again filling your lungs with that miraculously fresh air that they so desperately craved.

The saltwater stings as it flows over your face, getting in your eyes and rushing over all the wounds you've accumulated. Rosie sputters from beside you, struggling a bit to keep her head up, so you extend an arm for her to use to push herself up. You tell yourself you're only doing it -- that is, making sure she doesn't drown -- because she'll be useful in helping you survive. Deep down, though, your intentions extend further than that.

Once you find a steady rhythm with the waves and the fear of drowning subsides for the time being, you scan the horizon line. "I see land -- over there." You say, using your head to point to what looks to be an island in the distance. "We'll swim when we have the energy and float when we need rest, okay?" She nods in response, and the two of you get set on your way.

-----

Huffing from the pure exhaustion coursing through your bodies, you manage to drag yourselves onto shore before collapsing. The sand serves as a good place to lay, almost cradling you the longer you lay there. Tiny, rippling waves -- the aftershocks of much bigger ones -- lull into shore, fluttering past your ankles before being pulled back in by the tide. They lap against your skin, remedying your racing mind with their rhythm. Minutes pass in this cycle, setting you in a state of comfort before you remember everything you'll have to do before nightfall.

Once gaining enough strength, you raise your head and peek over at your rival.

She's sleeping. Of course. You can't blame her, but the sun -- once blazingly hot, perched high up in the sky -- is now setting, giving you a preview of the darkness that the night sky will hold. She turns, rolling her head towards you in her sleep, and you almost smile -- a light dusting of sand sticks to her puffed-out cheeks, and the bridge of her nose holds a small sunburn, making her look sunkissed and blushy. Y/N, stop that, you command yourself, shaking your head at your thoughts. She's your enemy, and she's the reason you're even in this mess in the first place.

"Wake up," you nudge her, reverting back to your previously tense demeanor. The anger you possess for the situation you're in is returning en masse, wiping the pleasant thoughts of Rosé from your mind.

She groans, keeping her eyes tightly shut as she attempts to ignore you. "Roseanne, we have to get up." Your voice is strong, commanding her just like your crew. Your crew, you think to yourself. Some of them were killed by the bandits while others were thrown into the prison chambers of your ship, left at the mercy of your enemies until they decide what they want to do with them. Your people are inventive and strong -- they'll likely find a way out of the sticky situation and reclaim victory. For now, though, you're left to worry about their fates as you attempt to survive on this island. If the elements and animals don't kill you first, the gorgeous woman beside you most definitely will.

"I'm up!" She all but shouts, following another prodding from you. Her eyes flutter open and she instinctively raises her hand to wipe her face -- you catch the chains before they can make contact and harm her, and she sends you an appreciative look. "Guess I forgot about these…" she shakes her arms, jiggling your restraints in the process, "Oopsie."

"Come on." You say, standing up and pulling her along with you. Her dilly dallying is making you impatient, and it only increases your levels of irritation. You don't have time to waste.

"We have to break these," she states the obvious, searching the shore for a decently sized rock.

A sarcastic gasp slips past your lips as you look at her. "You don't say! I was thinking we'd just leave them on." She turns to glare at you, narrowing her eyes as she stops walking. Dear god, there's no time for this. With a mumbled "here we go", you allow her to continue.

"You know, we wouldn't be in this mess if it wasn't for you."

"Me?!" You shout, completely taken aback. "Quite the contrary, Rosé. You're the one who led them to us!"

"If you would've accepted my offer, none of this would've happened. But you refuse to team up with anyone else. Look at where that got us now." She motions around herself to the island, expression settling back into an annoyed scowl as her eyes settle on you again.

"It's not my fault that my crew is more trained than yours; I had no reason to merge our teams."

"An agreement would've solidified our strength!" She yells, stomping her foot into the sand. Her boots managed to survive the long trip here, but their material is completely soaked.

"I'm responsible for my crew, and my crew only. I had no decent reason to bring yours in with mine. It's just a liability and more mouths to feed." You say evenly, clenching and releasing your jaw a few times.

She begins to fire off her rebuttal, but you tune her out for the most part and start walking further inland. She has no choice but to follow, and she does so while adamantly complaining. You throw occasional jabs to her arguments in order to keep her moving, and your plan works well. She's too busy bickering with you to notice that she's doing exactly what you want her to.

"...and you're so arrogant, Y/N! I mean, really. God, you're infuriating."

"Are you done yet?" You ask, cocking your head to the side while you simply blink at her. She squints at you, about to give you another piece of her mind, but you glance down at the rock you led her to and she closes her mouth.

"You can keep screaming at me or we can break these chains. Your choice." You shrug, pursing your lips. She cuts her eyes at you, but agrees with a huff, nonetheless.

The two of you work together to find fittingly sized rocks, taking turns dropping them on your restraints and methodically working them against them. Eventually the chains give way, allowing your hands to wiggle out of their strict hold. You're the first to free yourself; once you're done, you find Rosé struggling in silence, refusing to ask for your help.

"Here," you offer, extending a hand to her. Doing nice things for people without gaining something for yourself isn't something you do often -- you've been raised differently; grown more independent and self-serving after your time on the sea.

"Oh, now you want to work together?" She quirks an eyebrow.

You put your hands up with an amused grin. "I don't have to help, feel free to do it alone." You stand, dusting the sand off of your clothes as you begin to walk away and investigate the island. She calls out behind you, annoyed shouts getting further and further away as you just smile and continue your journey.

------

"Ah, glad you could join us again." You smirk, adding some kindling to the small fire you managed to set up during her time away.

"Shut it," she bites back, glaring at you.

"Tough crowd," you laugh, raising your eyebrows. For once, she doesn't say anything back. She busies herself with removing her shoes and socks, setting them next to the source of heat to dry before disappearing into the tree line. She returns a few minutes later, carrying with her a few different branches. Some of them are forked at the top, and she arranges them into a sturdy structure beside the fire as well. You try not to focus on how strong she looks as she does it, her muscles glistening in the fading evening light with a sheet of sweat.

To your surprise, she begins stripping.

First her overcoat, which she drapes across the branch acting as a beam between the forked ones, and then her vest. She wrings them out individually, and you watch as the materials drip with what water hadn't already evaporated yet. The loose linen undershirt that she wears remains on, and you're thankful for that -- had she taken it off as well, you likely would've passed out. The blush on your cheeks deepens as you feel her eyes on you, and you keep your gaze trained on the fire.

"Well? Are you planning to stay in those clothes all night?" She asks, running a hand through her hair to fix it and get some of the sand out.

"If I didn't know better I'd say you're trying to get me naked, Rosie." You play, smiling harder when you see her roll her eyes and look away.

"You wish," she scoffs, though you can see her stealing glances at you as you remove your clothes. She admires the shadows that the fire casts over your body, the flames dancing as they offer their beautiful warmth. The two of you go way back, having grown up as frenemies due to your professions, but she's always had a soft spot for you. You piss her off to no end, and yet somehow she can think of plenty worse people to be stuck with.

After catching her staring, you decide to tease her. You flex your muscles, making sure to be extra and really make a show of it. She blushes, hiding behind her hands to escape the situation.

"Awww, somebody's shy." You say, chuckling at her.

"Am not," she protests, though her sheepish grin sells her out.

"Prove it," you challenge, a mischievous smile tugging at the corners of your lips. Teasing her is one of your favorite pastimes.

Tired of the games, she gathers all of the courage she possesses and stands, slowly sauntering her way over to you. Your eyes take in the sight of her, and she smirks; she works hard to stay in shape, and she knows she looks good. Countless weeks spent at sea, working alongside her crew on long voyages has left her with artfully tanned skin and a physique to die for. You go to compliment her, but she stops you before you have the chance, pressing a finger to your pursed lips. She trails it lower, blazing a path across your jawline and chest, stopping at your ribs. Your breath hitches, and she definitely feels it. You curse yourself for being so easy, already knowing what's coming.

"Who's shy now, sweetheart?" She purrs out, smiling victoriously.

How she's capable of switching demeanors so easily baffles you, but it ensures that no interaction with her will be boring, if nothing else.

"Yeah, yeah," you grumble, pushing her away to break the growing tension. She's looking at you with some glint in her eye that you can't quite place -- all you know is that if she keeps doing it, things might escalate to a place neither of you are prepared for.

You clear your throat and step around her to adjust your clothes on the drying rack. "You can go ahead and sleep. I'll stay awake and keep the fire going."

She nods with a slight frown on her lips, though you don't see it. "Alright. But wake me up when you get too tired, okay?" You assure her you will, though truthfully your body is aching for sleep right now. The beating you took earlier did its worst on you, leaving your skin bruised and muscles knotted. She deserves to rest, though, and you're okay with giving her the first shift of it. Besides, your mind would surely keep you awake for the better part of an hour -- at least it'll be used to its fullest with her.

What you don't realize, however, is that when she lays down beside you, cuddling into the sorry attempt for a bedroll that you threw together, she merely pretends to fall asleep. Likewise, when she settles her head in your lap, searching for a more comfortable place to lay it, she's fully conscious. She lazily smiles when you run your hands through her hair, wrapping the locks around your fingers in mindless patterns before releasing them and starting over. It's soothing, and soon enough she calms her eager heart enough to slip away to dreamland.

--- A Few Days Later ---

"Wakey wakey…" Rosé sing-songs, hovering over you. The two of you have settled into this familiar rhythm over the past few days, spending the daytime searching for food and supplies and taking shifts to sleep through the night. You've almost always ended up taking the latter opportunity, though sometimes Rosé would force you to rest first if you needed it badly enough.

"Mmm," you groan in disapproval, rolling over. The sun is far too bright, and your upgraded bed situation is much too comfortable to offer any valid reason for you to leave it. Rosé knows how difficult it is to get you up, but she's learned some very useful tactics.

"Y/N…" she drawls, voice like honey as it releases your name with care. Her lips are next to your ear, teasing you as her warm breath fans across your neck. You audibly swallow, not prepared for that in the slightest, and slowly peek your eyes open. She raises a hand to shield your face from the unforgiving sun, and you smile at the domesticity of the act. She looks like a dream -- her hair is fanned out, swaying peacefully in the calm breeze that rolls in from the sea, and she's grinning that killer smile down at you. Her previous sunburn has turned into a tan now, making her look even more irresistible somehow.

"What do you want to do today?" You ask, lacing your fingers together as you put them behind your head. They work as a cradle, cushioning your head from the sand.

"I saw some berry bushes on the north side of the island. They didn't look like any poisonous kind I've studied about, so maybe we could check them out?" She suggests, sitting back on her knees with a quirked brow.

"Sounds like a plan." You smile lazily, gazing up at her. A light pattern of freckles paints her cheeks, and you can't help but grin at how adorable she is.

"What is it?" She asks skeptically, squinting at you.

"You're just too cute for your own good, is all." You sigh, content as you stand up and tug a blushing Rosé behind you. She closes the "door" behind herself, sealing off the entryway to your humble abode. It's a panel of leaves and sticks, built to be sturdy yet lightweight and easy to move. She built it herself, and a sweet smile works its way onto her lips as she remembers the praise you sent her way after she presented it to you.

--------

"If you don't slow down then I'm gonna slap you," she says, peering up at the trees that loom high overhead. In her distracted state, she neglects to look where she's going.

Her rambling is cut short by your hand darting out in front of her, effectively stilling her movements and words. You glance at the ground, prompting her eyes to follow the path they made and widen upon realizing what you just saved her from. An animal -- some wretched cross between a scorpion and pincher beetle -- continues its trip across the downed log that lays in front of you, menacing in its appearance.

"Thank you," she breathes out, leaning into your side as you hold her and direct her away from danger.

"Do me a favor and don't die, okay?" You quirk, scrunching your face up at her humorously. She shoves you, holding up her middle finger as she walks ahead and blazes a path for the two of you. You chuckle, grinning stupidly as you follow after her.

--- 3 Hours Later ---

"Take cover," you shout to an imaginary army, seeking refuge behind the base of a large tree. Rosé chuckles maniacally from behind one of the berry bushes, her fingers lightly stained from the juices that are running down her palm.

"Nice try, Y/N. But you can't escape… CAPTAIN ROSÉ!" She shouts, surprising you as she charges in your direction, pelting you with berry after berry. You squeal, evading as many of the makeshift missiles as you can by darting behind different greenery. She eventually catches up, snaking her arms around your waist and preventing you from getting away again.

"NO!" You exclaim, slumping further into her arms in defeat after your attempts to escape prove futile. She spins you around to face her, pressing your back up against the nearest tree as the two of you practically double over with laughter. She looks ethereal, with how she shines in the sunlight that sneaks its way through the canopy of tree tops above you. Her eyes are almost closed from how hard she's smiling at you.

A sharp growl breaks the happy moment, perking your ears up and causing your heart to race for a different reason entirely. You glance around the tree, protectively stepping in front of Rosé to shield her from any new threat. An animal -- something you've never seen before -- bares its teeth, snarling aggressively as it sets its sights on you. Your blood runs cold in your veins, stopping your heart momentarily as your brain attempts to formulate a plan on the fly. With only a few precious moments left before it attacks, you glance around for anything to double as a weapon without making any sudden movements.

Rosé is clutched onto you from behind, and you can feel her heart beating wildly. You have to protect her, no matter what.

"On my count, I want you to climb into this tree. I'm going to try and defend us." From what little knowledge you've inferred in the past couple minutes, you doubt the animal is capable of climbing well; it doesn't have the body or feet for it. You fear it is capable of running quickly, though, so the tree is likely your best bet.

"What? No, I'm going to--"

"Roseanne, please, for once, just do as I ask. Trust me." You plead over your shoulder, noting the slight tremble that runs through her as another roar echoes out. Your eyes remain trained on it, never backing down for a second.

One steadying breath later, you shout, "Now!" and swoop down to pick up what helpful materials you can. You charge at the animal, taking the offensive in order to keep as much distance possible between it and Rosé. You successfully jab the sharpened stick into its side, causing it to wail in pain. In an instant it grabs your arm, wrapping it's paws around you as it lunges forwards and tumbles to the ground on top of you. A scream leaves your lips as you watch its teeth dig further into your flesh, garnering deep crimson blood to spill from your developing wounds. You protect your neck with your other arm, only breaking this rule to reach to your side and retrieve the heavy rock you brought along as well. It connects with the side of the animal's head, only making it whimper before loosening its grip the slightest bit. You weren't prepared for it to be such a tough enemy. You use your strength to roll it over and sit on top of it, keeping your arm in its grip to ensure that it stays occupied. Your fingers dig into every sensitive part of its body you can reach, performing the defense moves you've spent your life practicing to use. With a glance at Rosé, you find her safe in the tree, just like you wanted.

"Run!" You shout, willing to keep the creature distracted in order to give her time to escape. Before you can see if she listens to you, it's nails claw into your abdomen, scratching painful designs into the previously smooth skin. It performs another death roll, and you barely have the strength to shank it in the side again. It howls, rearing back to go for your jugular before its movements are abruptly cut short. An unsettling crack rings out above you, and you open your eyes after not receiving the fatal blow you had been expecting. The animal scampers away from you, limping off further into the forest until it's out of sight.

Rosé drops the large branch in her hand, the end of it lightly stained with blood. "Go..." you weakly mumble, eyes beginning to flutter closed as you notice how much blood you've already lost. You feel cold, and you have to fight the shiver that runs through you.

"I've got you, Y/N." She whispers, cradling your fragile frame in her arms as she picks you up and begins the journey back to camp. "You did good." She reassures, having no idea how much you needed to hear that before falling unconscious.

---------

After gathering the medicinal plants and resources that the two of you have accumulated so far, she returns to the fireside, settling down beside you. She raises your shirt enough to have access to your wounds, but not far enough to expose you. Temperate water meets your bloodied and broken skin, rushing over the sensitive areas as she gently cleans them. Once dry, she mixes the materials into a sort of salve to rub on them before laying the plants on them in place of bandages.

The crackling of the fire works with the crashing of distant waves to serve as background noise, making the night far more peaceful than the day had been. She allows you to continue resting, knowing you need all of it that you can get.

About an hour or so later you wake with a start, hands reaching out as if you were right back in front of the animal. Your dreams were plagued with images of the nightmarish beast, and you're having trouble adjusting to the fact that they were all in your head. They felt so real. Rosé is by your side in an instant, brushing your hair out of your face with one hand while caressing your thigh with the other -- it's one of the only places that made it out of battle relatively unscathed. Your panicked eyes find hers, glazed over with tears as you pull her flush against your body, glad to know she's okay. Her warmth reminds you that she's here, that she's real, and that she's safe.

Memories of your fight come flooding back, filling your mind with the terrifying things you witnessed and reigniting your fight or flight response. You remember that she didn't listen to you -- she put herself in harm's way instead of leaving you behind, like you asked -- and you grow angry. Muttered phrases of disapproval leave your lips as you push her away, stumbling slightly when you try to stand on your own. Although confused by your erratic behavior, she reaches out to assist you, only to be met with a harsh refusal from you.

"Stop!" The word comes out as an angry shout -- louder than you originally intended -- but you can't find it in yourself to apologize right now. You find your footing after a moment, holding your side as you walk away from her.

"What's your problem?" She shouts, marching after you. She refuses to let this go without a fight, seeing as how she has plenty more questions than answers now.

"You could've gotten hurt, Rosé, and I could've handled it on my own." You say over your shoulder, continuing on your journey away from camp. Her relentlessness is quickly getting on your nerves.

"Clearly you couldn't! You needed help; why are you denying that?" She stops now, crossing her arms angrily with her brows furrowed. The fact that you're still so set on clinging to your pride is pissing her off.

"You should've left me there! I can't have you getting hurt because of me." You turn around now, setting your jaw. Is she really this blind? This has nothing to do with your pride. Her eyes meet yours, the pools overflowing with confusion as they scan over your face in search of clarification.

"I can handle something happening to me; I've made my peace with that. But if something ever happened to you because of my incompetence…" you shake your head at the mere thought of that, momentarily too overwhelmed to continue, "...I wouldn't know what to do with myself. I care about you, idiot." You add that last line before turning around, not bothering to wait on her reaction. Part of you is scared to, honestly, and the day has been far too eventful for you to handle a potential rejection on top of everything else.

She says nothing, leaving the air around you void of her beautiful voice, and you don't know whether to be thankful or disheartened.

You put more distance between the two of you, leaving a stunned Rosé in your wake as you find a place to sit along the shoreline. Your temper -- more precisely, the fear you hold that presents itself as anger -- reared its head tonight. You didn't mean to snap at her like that, but the possibility of her getting hurt because of you makes your blood boil. That would be unforgivable, and you wouldn't be able to live with yourself. You felt helpless earlier, quickly running out of the strength required to keep her safe.

Salty tears manage to break past your line of defenses, much like Rosé has managed to do with your heart. She's torn down every wall you've ever put up to protect yourself, and now that she's there you don't know how to cope. You've had people you considered close before, but none of them have mattered like she does. You've never been so afraid of losing someone.

A soft hand on your shoulder makes you jump slightly, pulling you from your thoughts. Speak of the devil.

"Hey." She says simply, sitting down beside you. You turn your face away, not wanting to let her see you cry. "I'm sorry for fighting, okay? But I'm not sorry for helping you. I care about you, too, and I'll be damned to just leave you like that." She doesn't say anything else, doesn't try to make you look at her -- she just sits there, waiting for you to be ready to do so on your own.

She's waited on you since you were teenagers, so she figures she's capable of waiting a bit longer now. Both of you are aware of the love you hold for one another; this is just the hardest part -- finally admitting it.

"I can't lose you," you whisper, eyes full of tears that occasionally roll down your cheeks once gravity finds its footing. You turn to the front, still too emotional to look into her eyes.

"Ditto. That's why I did what I did."

Your knees are raised and pulled in close to your body for security, your arms wrapped around them to keep them in place. She reaches over to rest her hand on yours, wordlessly coaxing you into looking at her.

"I…" You pause, voice breaking with the emotions you're still reeling from.

"I know." She says, resting her forehead against yours.

"I love you, too."

She pulls you in, making sure to be gentle and not injure you any further. She raises your head to press her lips against yours, tasting the faint hint of wildberry that still rests on them from earlier. It's slow and new, giving you a break from the intensity you've been dealing with the past few days. You tilt your head to the right, letting out a whimper as her fingers graze a bruised spot on your ribs. She gives you another peck before pulling away, determined to stop herself while she still can. You're addicting, and she already can't get enough of you.

A beat passes between you, giving you time to sort the thoughts rushing around your mind. "I've always loved you." You admit, pulling back to look at her. Tears well in her eyes, shining brightly in the brilliant moonlight as they threaten to fall.

"Ever since we commanded our own boats for the first time. Mine was better, of course," she laughs at that, smiling despite herself, "...but I knew you were different then. I've spent all these years being too stubborn to let myself have you."

She takes your words in, her heart pounding victoriously in her chest at your confession. "I knew when we were still training together. You always made things better for me then; I was so thankful to know you. Even if we teased the hell out of each other."

You grin at the countless memories that come to mind. "Do you remember that night at the docks, after we graduated from our classes?" She looks up, searching her memory vault. "When you kissed me?" She asks. You nod, looking down with a bashful smile.

"I knew we wouldn't see each other for a while, so I wanted to make it count."

"You made it really hard to say goodbye, you know?" She says, her eyes softening as she looks at you.

"I know. But you get half of the blame."

She tuts at you, nudging you playfully. You hiss in pain, causing her to bring a hand up to cover her growing smile. "Oops. Sorry, not sorry."

"If I wasn't hurting so bad I'd tackle you right now."

"Oh, I'm so scared." She laughs, mocking you.

"That's it," you declare, ignoring the pain that shoots through your body with all the moving you're doing. Her laugh practically heals you anyway, so it's not hard to push it from your mind. You press her into the sand, rolling over to straddle her hips and pin her hands above her head.

"Woah, tiger. Don't hurt yourself." She raises her head as much as her restrained state will allow, coming dangerously close to your face.

"You're such a dork." You tut, leaning in to capture her lips once more. She mumbles out a, "you love it, though" against you, and your heart can't help but soar.

- A Few Weeks Later -

A soft melody rides along the airwaves towards your ears, persuading you to wake up from your cozy slumber. You cuddle further into Rosie's tempting embrace, smiling at the way she pulls you impossibly closer. Her throat wiggles as she hums out a familiar tune from your childhood -- one of the songs you used to dance together to.

"You big softie." You coo, resting your chin on her chest to look into her eyes with a smile. She grins, finally peeking at you through her lashes.

"Good morning, beautiful." She says, her accent coming through adorably. She pulls you up to her lips for a kiss before rolling you onto your back.

You sigh as she leaves open mouth kisses to your neck, dragging her lips over the skin there lazily. She takes her time, leaving marks here and there to show the world who you belong to. Her hands skim over the warm skin of your abdomen, finally free of the intense wounds you've been recovering from. Only small scars are left now, serving as a testament to what you endured.

"Mmm, I'm hungry. Let's go get something to eat." She chuckles at that, her head falling forward to rest against your shoulder as her body shakes with laughter.

"You're thinking about food while I'm kissing you?" She grins, propping herself up on her arm to look down at you lovingly.

"What can I say? I'm a hungry girl." You kiss her cheeks, ghosting your lips over hers. "Although," you tease the corner of her mouth, "...you're looking pretty tasty right about now. I might just eat you instead."

She squeals as you crawl on top of her, pretending to bite her skin as you tickle her sides.

"I surrender!" She shouts, finally giving into you. You kiss her one last time before pulling away and practically dragging her out of the structure.

"I'll get started on cooking the fish if you grab some water." You offer, rustling through your handmade crate for the skewers you use to prepare food.

"Alright," she nods, kissing you on the cheek before grabbing your canteens and setting off towards the freshwater spring not far from camp.

"Be careful!" You call out after her, smiling when she turns around to face you with her hands in the form of a heart.

---------

"Good job baby. That was delicious." She compliments, leaning back against the log you use as seating beside the fire. She almost always opts to sit in the sand and rest against it for some reason, but you're long past questioning her at this point. Rosie's… unique.

"They don't call me Chef Y/N for nothing." You quip, holding your head higher with a sense of self-importance.

"They don't call you that anyway."

"Hey," you pout, slapping the back of her head with no real force. "Let a girl pretend, would you?"

"Fine, my apologies." She smiles again, and you can't help but do the same. You've lost count of how many times she's made you laugh over these past few weeks, and although you hope to be rescued sooner rather than later, the thought of being stuck here with her for a while longer doesn't seem all that bad.

"You're doing it again," she trails off, wiggling her voice up and down to tease you.

"What?"

"Looking at me like a lovesick puppy." Her eyes shine in the warm, tropical sunlight, pools of rich amber that you wouldn't mind getting lost in. They match the color of whiskey almost perfectly.

"Not my fault. Have you seen yourself?." She scoffs, but blushes nonetheless. You lean over to press a kiss to the top of her head affectionately.

Your attention is stolen away all at once as you hear the words you've been imagining ever since you arrived on the island. "Land, ho!" Multiple voices bellow out in the distance, prompting you to search for their source. Collective cheering can be heard, and you swiftly stand -- as if that simple act will miraculously enable you to see better.

"We're coming, Captain!" Jisoo, your second in command shouts, seemingly hanging off the bow of the ship -- your ship. A squad of others follows behind, maintaining a tight formation as they make their way to shore.

"Us too, Captain!" Someone calls from one of the neighboring boats, apparently one of Rosé's crewmembers. She waves back excitedly, and you bite back the smile that tugs at your cheeks.

Eventually they reach land.

"Y/N!" Your scout, Lisa, shrieks like a schoolgirl, running into your arms eagerly. She was the first friend you ever made during your training years, long before you met Rosé, and you were truly worried for her.

"Ah, Lisa. Jisoo." You look between the two of them proudly, glad to see them alive and well. "What happened?"

"We managed to defeat Captain Crusty's men--" she stops to explain when she notices your brows furrowed in amused confusion, "--that's the nickname we gave the bandit leader. Anyway, we defeated them and repaired the ship enough to make it back to shore. They did some major damage, though."

You nod, satisfied with their story, until you remember that they didn't come alone. You subtly motion your head to the other crew, and Jisoo gets the memo. "We found the rest of these pea-brains back at the docks and they insisted on coming along."

"Hey, it's not like we wanted to be stuck with you either!" Jennie, Rosé's second, hits back, defending herself and the rest of her crew. "If your moron captain would've listened to Rosé we wouldn't be here, and we wouldn't have lost anyone in the process."

"Quiet," Rosé warns, stepping in front of her to block the two sides from each other.

Despite knowing it isn't technically your fault, Jennie's words do hold some truth. You feel guilty for all the senseless violence you could've potentially spared your people from enduring, and the what-ifs weigh heavily on your mind and heart.

"So long as I'm still in charge, no one will disrespect Y/N or her crew. Are we clear? I won't take kindly to any of you going against me." It's a heavy warning, and her tone makes it clear that she'll be true to her word. They know better than to test her. Her eyes scan the group of misfits, all looking bewildered by her sudden change of heart. It must be a bit jarring for them, after being such bitter enemies with the others for so long. Regardless, scattered nods and grumbles of acceptance leave them before they all scurry away to get started on their tasks, looking like scolded children.

You send Lisa and Jisoo along with the rest of your crew to go ahead and board again, seeing that you have no real equipment to pack up this time. It feels wrong to leave the island -- the place that brought you back to Rosie and allowed you to open your heart to her -- without something to remember it by. So, with a whispered, "Wait here," you run back to camp to snatch something.

You return soon after, a huge smile plastered on your face. "You're bringing our door?" She laughs, tilting her head at your strange choice.

"Duh. Good to know your eyes still work, I was getting worried." You tease, giggling as she pinches you.

"Come on baby; let's go. Last one there has to clean the poop deck."

"Get back here!" She yells, chasing you into the chilly water with a smile. Whether she loses or not doesn't matter much to her -- she finally has you after all these years, and she can't wait to see where the future will take the two of you.

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epickendall · 5 years ago

Text

Ghostboy and LumberJill chapter 2

Mabel starts to wake up after she fainted on the ground Mabel wakes up in the backroom of the Mystery Shack, and she sees Wendy coming into the room.

"Wendy I just had the craziest dream that you were dating Danny Fenton and he was carrying you in his arms," said Mabel rubbing the back of her head

"Yeah Mabel about that," said Wendy

Danny comes into the room look around to see no one from the outside of the windows were watching, and he takes off his blonde wig.

"It wasn't a dream you are dating Danny Fenton," Mabel squeal in happiness and Wendy quickly put her hand on Mabel's mouth to stop the squealing

"Mabel I know you're going to have tons of questions, but first you need to calm down okay," said Wendy and Mable nodded her head yes Wendy removes her hand from Mabel's mouth

"I can't believe one of my friends is dating a superhero, god how did the two you meet in the front place?" said Mabel

"It a lot to explain Mabel," said Danny

"Don't worry I can make time just tell me already I'm dying to know,"

Danny and Wendy explain to Mabel about Danny coming to Gravity Falls in witness protection from a crazy cult. Then to Wendy discovering Danny's true identity leading to them hanging out more in Gravity Falls. Next was Wendy helping Danny with the cult that unleashes a wave of ghosts in Amity Park and they defeating the cult leader and her people afterward; the two started to go out with each other.

"That's wrapped everything up," said Wendy

"That sound so cool Wendy actual fought ghosts," said Mabel

"Yep,"

"Wow, I can't wait to tell Dipper about this,"

"I'm sorry Mable but you can't," said Danny

"Aww, why not?"

"I don't want to let many people know that I'm dating Wendy it'll lead the media going crazy for this and won't leave Wendy alone,"

"Plus I don't want to receive any death threats from Danny crazy fangirls who wanted to marry him on the spot," said Wendy

"So can you keep this secret from your brother,"

"Fine I won't tell anyone not even Dipper, but I can take a selfie with you in your ghost form,"

"Mabel," said Wendy

"I won't upload to the internet I promise,"

Danny shrugs "fine," Danny and Mabel take a picture in Danny ghost form

"Yes," Mabel saved the photo on cool pictures album "I gotta go meet with Candy at the town park," Mabel left the storage room

"That was easier than I thought," said Danny

"Yeah let's just hope nothing else happens today," said Wendy

In the Northwest estate backyard, Pacifica took Dipper to the backyard to check out a large and small dog paws print that was all over the backyard with wreck fences pill up at the end of the yard.

"What causes these dog print Pacifica?" said Dipper examining them

"I don't know what causes them Dipper that why I brought you here," said Pacifica

"When did this happen?"

"The two nights ago there some barking that night and when one of our butlers came here to find the dog he found the yard to be like this,"

"Hm sounds like a monster dog came here and done this,"

"Why?"

"I'm going to find that out with a bit of research, and from my journal, we'll find the dog,"

"Your journal?"

"Oh yeah, I started to make a journal like Ford to written down any mysterious creature that I come across,"

"How many did you write down so far?"

"About couple like a werewolf in Texas and evil spirit of a clown in Kansas anyway I come back what I gather Pacifica see you later," Dipper left the Pacifica house and Pacifica thought to herself

"he's so handsome when he gets serious," Pacifica shake her head I mean he is a nice guy for helping me *sighs* thank god Mabel isn't here,"

Mabel was walking to the Gravity Falls park as she thinks about Danny and Wendy dating.

"I wonder if those two we'll get married one day and then Wendy surname going changed from Wendy Corduroy to Wendy Fenton and their kids would have ghost powers as Danny. I'm already shipping them in my head," Then she spots Dipper coming from the direction to Pacifica house "Oh I got to tease him about that," Mabel goes to Dipper "hey Dipper,"

Then a rope comes over a bush and ties up Mabel and drags her in the woods Dipper sees this and chase after Mabel he pulls out his phone and calls Wendy.

Wendy answer her phone "Hello Dipper,"

"Wendy Mabel is getting kidnapped,"

"Kidnapped by who?"

"I don't know but someone taking her into the wood you gotta help me,"

"Don't worry Dipper I'll help you find Mabel,"

"Thanks," then Dipper sees Mabel goes through brushes "gotta go," Dipper hangs ups and went after her sister

Wendy looked at Danny "what wrong Wendy," said Danny

"Mabel is getting kidnapped,"

"By whom,"

"Don't know but do you want to help find Mabel with Dipper and me?"

"Of course Wendy,"

"Thanks," Wendy kiss him on the checks "let's go up in the air to find the two,"

"Got it," Danny switches to his ghost form he grabs Wendy they turn invisible and go up in the air.

Dipper finally caught up with Mabel to find the kidnappers to be gnomes, and they were standing at a makeshift wedding.

"You guys again would you guy stopped kidnapping my sister," said Dipper

"Listen here we try to find another queen, but he had no luck, so we're going to make your sister our queen again," said Jeff

"I don't want to be your queen you little jerks," said Mabel

"And besides you don't have a shovel or leaf blowers this time kid how are you going to stop us,"

"With this," Mabel kicked Jeff into the other gnomes knocking them down to the ground, and Mabel gets back on her feet go to Dipper "untie me and let's get the heck away from them,"

Dipper unties Mabel from her ropes then the gnomes turn into a giant gnome.

"Oh shit," Dipper thought, "Mabel run!"

Dipper and Mabel run from the giant gnome in the woods up above Wendy and Danny sees the giant gnome.

"Is that giant gnome?" said Danny

I think so I'm guessing they tried to make Mabel their queen again," said Wendy

"Again?"

"Long story,"

"Anyway defeating these gnomes?"

"A leaf blower or high pitch scream,"

"I got something that high pitch but first lets Mabel and Dipper," Danny and Wendy flies down to the forest

Dipper and Mabel kept running as Jeff shouts from the giant gnome shouted at them, "Mabel, you'll be our queen!"

"Never!" Mabel shouted back

Then suddenly the two get picked up by Danny, and Wendy Dipper gets grab by Danny's left arm as Wendy grabs Mabel with her free arms. Danny flew them far away from the giant gnome and landed back down on the ground.

"Danny Phantom what are you doing here?" said Dipper

"Oh was happen to be in the neighborhood I saw your friend Wendy looked trouble I ask her what's wrong and she told your guys situation, so I came to help you guys,"

"Really thanks Danny," said Mabel winking at him

Wendy looked to see the giant gnome coming "that thing is getting closer,"

"You guys stand back I got this," said Danny

The giant gnome got closer to the group Danny was ready to use his ghost howl on the gnome suddenly his old friend Cujo in his large form comes out nowhere smashing the giant gnomes apart into many gnomes and come in front of Danny.

"a giant ghost dog," said Dipper

"Don't worry kid I know this dog," Danny comes up to Cujo "I see you have gotten out of the ghost zone again huh buddy and came here,"

Cujo barked happily at Danny and then turning into a pup then jumping into his arms

"Aw it's ghost puppy," said Mabel she goes up to Cujo and pets him on the head

"I don't think those guys would bother you guys anymore safe you guys," Danny flew up with Cujo in the air flying off

"I still wonder why he's at Gravity falls?" said Dipper

"Don't know dude maybe he just visiting someone," said Wendy smiling at her boyfriend flying off to put on his disguise and met her again.

#Danny Phantom #gravity falls

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timmyrx2000 · 7 years ago

Text

Dipper Steps Up: Chapter 6

Chapter Index: (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)

Chapter 6

When Wendy and Dipper left the Shack, the sun had just set. The night insects had not yet tuned up, but bats twittered overhead and out in the forest the woodpeckers, who didn't give up until the light was almost gone, drummed away. "Where are we going?" Dipper asked as they stepped off the trail.

"Into the woods," Wendy said. "You bring a flashlight, dude?"

"Yeah, I have one of the prototypes Grunkle Ford made."

"Good deal. I got the one I use camping. We'll need light on the way back."

In the gathering twilight they hiked on, uphill and down, skirting thickets of huckleberry, boggy growths of cobra lily, and stands of trailplant, threading their way through second-growth fir and pine forests, passing expanses of tree stumps and seedlings. "Dad logs all through here," Wendy said in one clearing, the air sharp with the scent of freshly-cut wood. She switched on her own flashlight and said, "Not far now."

Finally, they reached the cleared crown of a domed hill. Stars spangled the sky overhead, lots more than Dipper had ever seen in Piedmont, where the light pollution from Oakland and San Francisco dimmed them. No moon yet—it was gibbous and waning and, because of the recent change to Daylight Saving Time, it wouldn't rise until nearly eleven.

Creatures howled in the distance. Like the panda duck that Dipper had tried to win for Wendy, the species were indeterminate. In Gravity Falls, they might be anything. Wendy stood beside a stump and took a deep breath. "OK, dude, I know you won't freak out, but this might be rough on you. Remember I'm here for you, though. Wanna hold my hand?"

"Anytime," Dipper said. Her hand was warm in his.

"OK, Gramps, I brought him!" Wendy yelled into the night.

Dipper looked at her, but she had turned off the flashlight and he saw only her silhouette against the stars. "Huh?"

"He said not to tell you till he got here. Gramps! It's me, Wendy!"

In front of them, a greenish fog coalesced. Floating a couple of feet above the ground, it pulsed and brightened and then shrank in on itself, transforming into a hulking, bearded human figure.

"Oh, my gosh!" Dipper said. "The ghost from the Northwest mansion!"

"Dipper," the apparition moaned in its deep, rumbling voice. "I have to talk to you. I mean you no harm!"

Dipper almost sagged with relief. "No problem, sir! Wendy, I'm not afraid of him. You look a lot better, Mr. uh, Lumberjack. Your beard's not on fire, and your missing eye seems to have healed up. And the, uh, axe in your head's gone."

"I'm not haunting anyone now," the ghost explained, self-consciously straightening the blow tie it wore on its . . . beard. "I have no wish to terrify. When you're a ghost, you can take many forms."

"Dude," Wendy said, squeezing Dipper's hand, "this is Archibald Corduroy. He's, like, my great-great grandfather!"

"I wondered about that!" Dipper said. "I saw his picture in your house—uh, it's nice to meet you, Mr. Corduroy."

"You treated me well," the ghost said. "I regret tricking you and then turning you into wood."

"That . . . was sort of scary," Dipper admitted, rubbing the back of his neck.

The apparition shrugged modestly. "Well, I am a ghost."

"Yeah. Uh, excuse me, but I thought that after Pacifica let everybody in, you had gone on to, you know, your reward."

"I could not bear to leave this forest that I loved so much in life," the ghost said, gesturing with a sweep of his glowing arm that took in all the surroundings. "Also, once free of haunting the hated Northwest house, I wondered what had become of my family. I soon discovered I have a mighty descendant in Daniel, and a beautiful one in Wendy." The ghost floated next to Dipper and confided: "She likes you, boy!"

"Aw, Gramps!" Wendy said, laughing. "Cut it out, dude! Look, I brought Dipper, like you asked, so just tell him what you've got for him, OK?"

The ghost backed away from Dipper, towering over them both. "He's a brave, intelligent boy, Wendy. You could do a lot worse."

"I really like your great-great granddad," Dipper said to Wendy.

Wendy giggled. "You guys! C'mon, Gramps."

"Very well. Dipper, the root of your friend's trouble is another ghost from the past. An evil one. Well, I say 'evil,' I suppose I went a little overboard myself, but my anger branched out from the betrayal the Northwests committed against my friends and me—no, no, I'll cut that short. Forget it. I'm sorry for the bad things that came from my long hatred, leave it at that. But now an ill-intentioned spirit is trying to possess your fiend Taylor. If he succeeds, terrible things will happen. You have to stop him."

"How?" Dipper asked, his throat feeling tight.

"I'm a lumberjack, not an exorcist," the ghost said a little irritably. "You must discover the way to help. Speak to the boy's family. Seek out his mother. Tell her. She will sense the truth of what I've told you. And beware! The spirit that threatens your friend is implacable, his grip as strong as cypress roots!"

"Dude," Wendy said, "you have, like, a really good vocabulary for a nineteenth-century lumberjack!"

"Being an outdoorsman doesn't mean you have to be illiterate, girl." The ghost started to dim.

"Wait, wait!" Dipper said. "Uh, sir—who is the ghost? That would help!"

"You already know in your heart," the fading ghost said. "It is a spirit that wishes to reincarnate—for revenge!"

"Bill Cipher?"

For just a second the ghost became a little brighter and clearer. "Who? No! Think human!"

And Archibald Corduroy went out like a candle flame in a wind.

"Who did he mean?" Dipper asked in the sudden darkness.

"I'm stumped," Wendy confessed. "Man, Dipper, you took that whole thing a lot better'n I expected! First time Archibald appeared to me, I totally freaked!"

"When was that?"

"Fall, two years back, after you an' Mabes went back to California. Along in October. I was in the woods behind our house cuttin' down some deadwood for the fireplace, and there he was, floatin' right in front of me. I kinda attacked him with my axe, but that went nowhere fast. He eventually calmed me down and told me who he was and all, and said he was gonna watch over our family and protect us, and since then I never saw him again—until I started asking around about the Northwests. Few days ago, he appeared to me in a stall of the girls' bathroom at school. Now, that was awkward. Anyhow, he seemed to know you were gonna come to Gravity Falls and said I needed to get you an' him together so he could tell you something, and he said you might be scared, so not to let you know who I was takin' you to see. You weren't scared, though. Good for you, dude!"

Dipper shrugged. "Those first ghosts I ever saw, the ones in the Dusk 2 Dawn, scared the heck out of me. Mainly because of what they were doing to Mabel and your friends. But I've kinda learned that most ghosts don't want to hurt you. Who could be haunting Chuck Taylor, though?"

"Dunno, man," Wendy said. They'd both switched on their flashlights and were headed back through the woods.

They didn't talk much. But when the lights of the Mystery Shack gleamed through the trees ahead, Dipper stopped in his tracks and said, "Reincarnate. Oh, no!"

Wendy stopped too. "What's wrong, Dip?"

"No," Dipper said. "No, no, no. I hope I'm wrong."

"About what?" she asked.

He swallowed hard. "Nathaniel Northwest."

The rest of the week flew by without any substantial developments in the case. Grunkle Ford lent Dipper a few detection devices and taught him how to use them, and then Grunkle Stan drove the kids home the next Saturday.

They spent Sunday and Monday brushing up for the CAHSEE that the school would give on Tuesday and Wednesday, and to their relief, the tests didn't seem all that hard. "I hope you didn't get bored and start putting down random answers," Dipper told Mabel after the last exam ended.

"Nope!" Mabel said. "I learned my lesson after the test I took in fifth grade that said I should be busted to kindergarten."

Chuck had seemed OK, and that afternoon, their first practice since the early spring break, he recovered his playing form again, pitching hard, hitting hard, running full-out. The Thursday practice was good, too, and Dipper began to think that everything was all right again.

Saturday brought a big game with the Bay City Blues. Their win-loss record tied Piedmont's, and Coach said that the teams were a pretty close match in ability, too. The Blues had a good pitching staff, some good hitters, and typically racked up scores of five to ten points in a game. They weren't the most spectacular team, but like the Panthers they played a steady, relentless game.

Saturday morning, the game started out well. Bay City won the toss and chose to take the field. Their pitcher had game: he struck out both Mike and Petey with three pitches each, and Dipper began to think the Panthers were doomed to an early loss.

However, Chuck, looking healthy, belted out a solid double, and following him at bat, both JD and Barb managed singles, sending Chuck home for the first run of the game. Unfortunately, Jon J sent a sweet high fly ball deep into left field—and right into the fielder's glove.

Chuck's pitching began unsteadily. The first batter racked up one strike and three balls before hitting a single. The second man up got a double on the first pitch, putting the runner on third and ready to score. From the bench, Tripper watched Chuck wipe sweat from his face, kick at the mound, and then lean forward, looking determined.

Off on the sidelines, Mabel, in her cheerleader costume, acted subdued. The Panthers had a bigger crowd than ever—their away games had frankly pitiful attendance, just the kids' parents and maybe five or six students—but now the bleachers were nearly full of cheering kids and adults. Except Mabel's enthusiasm had ebbed. Dipper knew she was worrying about Chuck.

However, Chuck promptly struck out two Blues in a row. The next two batters both got on base, though, one single, one double. Then when Vance McCall stepped into the batter's box, Chuck took his time considering his first pitch. McCall was the Blues' best hitter by far.

And he proved it by pulling a low fly to far right field, where it hit and bounced, for a moment looking as if it would go straight to Petey DeFoy—but then it bounced again, taking a bad hop deeper into fair territory, making it hard to field.

McCall wound up standing on second base. The first two Blues scored, and there went Piedmont's lead. As though to apologize to the fans, Chuck struck the next guy out with three fast pitches.

Second inning began with X-Man getting a single, trying to push it into a double, and getting tagged out. However, then both Hi-Ho and Bobby made it to base—Hi-Ho successfully stealing second before Bobby's single put him on third. Dub struck out, and it was Dipper's turn.

He'd been working hard on his batting. He let a ball go by, choked up on his grip, and took a swing at the next pitch—and connected. It was a grounder, skipping just past the third baseman and running right along the foul line.

Miracle of miracles, it didn't cross the line, and Dipper made it to first! More, it took Hi-Ho home—Dipper's first RBI. For a moment, it looked like a Piedmont rally, but Big W's hard grounder was snagged by the Blues shortstop, who fired the ball home just in time for the catcher to tag Bobby out.

The Blues couldn't get anything going in the bottom half, and the second inning closed with a 2-2 tie.

The Panthers came to bat for the third inning. Coach sent Dipper and Krenk in as subs and asked Chuck how he was feeling. "I'm OK," he insisted, though Dipper thought he was sweating harder than usual. It was a dismal inning, three Panthers coming up to bat, two being put out, one getting on base, and then with Jimmy in scoring position on third base—Krenk went down swinging, one, two, three, to retire the side.

In the bottom, Chuck's pitching was noticeably slower and less accurate. Still, he held the Blues to just one run, though that put them ahead again, three to two.

Before the turnover, Coach walked out and asked Chuck, "You gonna be OK? I can pull you."

Dipper saw Chuck shake his head and heard him mutter, "I think laying off practice last week put me off my game. I'll stay in."

In the top of the fourth inning, Mike, first up, got a single, and Chuck matched it. Coach called for time out and said, "Pines, you're faster. Go in as a pinch runner for Monohan."

Though he felt a flutter of anxiety, Dipper did. He led off second, tense, ready to jump back if the Blues pitcher suddenly turned and threw to the second baseman. Like Chuck, the Blues pitcher seemed to have lost some steam, and JD blasted his first pitch into a hard liner into the gap and dug out on what looked to be a double—but the right fielder scooped it up and got it to first in time to hold him.

But Dipper, running full out, tagged third, saw the coach motion him, and, imagining the Gobblewonker nipping at his heels, blasted for home. He could hear Mabel, not leading a cheer, but just screaming "Go, Bro, go, go, GO!"

The catcher stepped up, mitt raised, and Dipper fell into a slide, raising dust. The ball smacked the mitt. Dipper's cleats touched home plate, the catcher tagged his calf, and the ump yelled, "Safe!"

The crowd went wild. Well, mostly Mabel went wild, but still. He had tied the game again, 3-all.

There the Panthers lost their luck. One man out on a pop fly, and then a double play ended their chance to pull ahead.

Chuck didn't look as if he felt well when he stood on the mound. But he bore down and struck out the first two Blues at bat—the second out was actually their first man in the rotation. Then he got two strikes past the third batter—and as he wound up for the third pitch, all at once he tottered and went down on one knee, the ball on the ground, his right hand going out to brace himself. He croaked, "Coach!"

Waylund, Dipper, and the other Panthers hustled out. "What's wrong, Chuck?" Coach asked.

"Real dizzy," Chuck gasped. "Better take me out."

The crowd applauded as Waylund helped Chuck to the dugout, and Dipper saw Mr. and Mrs. Taylor coming down from the bleachers, looking anxious. Waylund sent in Jon J as replacement pitcher, and he did his best, but Chuck's second near-faint had shaken up him and the other Panthers, and Jon J let another two Blues batters on base before the next one got a single, pulling the Blues ahead by one run. Then he pulled it together and struck the last man out.

Dipper hastily trotted in to ask Chuck how he was feeling. Chuck, huddled on the bench, shrugged miserably. "We'll take him back to the doctor," his dad said.

"Not until the game ends," Chuck said firmly. "Just a little dizzy."

It might have gone better if he'd gone then. The Panthers, keenly aware that Chuck was sick and was watching them, lost their concentration. They fought the game out, even managing another run in the top of the seventh, but it ended with a Blues win, 9-4.

Dipper had missed an easy catch and had fanned three pitches, striking out in the worst way possible. As soon as the game ended, the Taylors took Chuck away—he was walking under his own power, at least—and the team morosely apologized to the coach.

"Forget it, men," he said. "I'll stay in touch with the Taylors and get word out to you if it looks serious. Let's hope it isn't."

"We're all hoping," Mabel said. She had come into the dugout, and tears stood in her eyes.

In the back seat of the family car, as their mom and dad stood outside talking about the game—and probably Chuck's illness—Dipper said to Mabel, "I'm going over to the Taylors' this afternoon."

"I'm coming too," she said.

"If you want. Listen, do me a big favor. You get Chuck and his dad aside somehow. I have to talk to Mrs. Taylor."

"About what?"

Dipper's voice was grim: "About a family ghost."

To be continued

Note from the Authors: This was just an idea I had but the one who really worked his magic and wrote almost all of this is none other than BillEase. He’s an amazing author who usually hangs out at fanfiction.net. Don’t pass up on a chance to check out his stuff. This guy is AMAZING. He wrote the story, I just gave the plot.

#gravity falls #gf #au #baseball #dipper pines #mabel pines #dipper and mabel #mabel and dipper #wendy #wendy corduroy #dipper and wendy #wendip #fanfic #fanfiction #Dipper Steps Up #northwest mansion mystery #chapter 6

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femkinkharry · 7 years ago

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2017 In Music ✨

so aj @agoodequaltimeinwellington tagged me in what’s always my favorite tag meme: MUSIC!!! i could literally write a million words about music at any given moment in time haha. music is what keeps me going; it’s the blood in my veins!

i’d like to talk a little bit about the year and how music has reflected different points in time and since i’m so verbose, everything will be behind the cut so i don’t kill your dash! <3

according to spotify, my top played songs are:

gussy - mornings [this was, surprisingly, my most played song of 2017, but i feel like it’s an accurate representation of how my year went overall! i got back into tumblr and the one direction fandom and it’s exhausting, but so worth it. mentally, this year was rather tough. i made some new friends and lost some old ones, reconnected and cut ties. i’ve been struggling lately with wanting to pack up and move across the country this year, too. but while there’s a sense of resignation and sadness to the song, the beat and tone of their voice give a sliver of hope! it’s perfect that this was my most played song!]

harry styles - meet me in the hallway

niall horan - too much to ask

overcoats - cherry wine

banks - waiting game

fleetwood mac - oh daddy

rhye - open

harry styles - sweet creature

henry jamison - real peach

ed sheeran - friends [i’m so whipped for h and l so it’s really perfect that my top 10 is rounded out with this song hahaha. i’m so happy to be back home in the one direction fandom! it’s been a sweet welcome back and i love you all so, so much. <3]

panic! at the disco - don’t threaten me with a good time

charlotte martin - wild horses

lord huron - the night we met

harry styles - sign of the times

jer coons - legs

imogen heap - come here boy

bts - silver spoon [a guy i was crushing on over the summer really likes them haha!]

blue october - light you up

lewis del mar - painting (masterpiece)

gavin james - bitter pill

ajr - weak

imaginary future, kina grannis - i will spend my whole life loving you

sia - breathe me

mal blum - san cristobal

niall horan - on the loose

heinali - sway, sway [for a while, i was having difficulty sleeping and i would fall asleep to piano music! this song stood out because of the color i see it in! it’s such a lovely pale pink, with specks of shiny gold! it’s perfect!]

dylan gardner - sign language

the dresden dolls - gravity

the paper kites - bloom

one direction - home [nobody should be surprised by this; you should only be surprised that it’s not higher!]

louis tomlinson, bebe rexha - back to you

damien rice - delicate

a change of pace -a song the world can sing out loud

jack’s mannequin - dark blue

angus & julia stone - paper aeroplane

panic! at the disco - the only difference between martrydom... [i will literally never get out of my emo phase lmao]

bt - good morning kaia

meg & dia - monster

tokio hotel - monsoon [this would be my partner! i prefer the german versions hahaha!]

danny malone - limbo

niall horan - this town

depeche mode - in your room

relient k - mood rings

gaia consort - goodnight [a song that accurately represents how i view poly relationships and my ultimate desire to have one sigh SIGH SIGHHHH]

carbon based lifeforms - frog

niall horan - slow hands

andrew mcmahon in the wilderness - cecelia and the satellite

the weeknd, daft punk - starboy

charlotte martin - stromata

the mountain goats - maybe sprout wings [a lovely, somber, grey song to end the list! <3 i have loved this song since i was a lonely 19 year old trying to find my place, wishing that i would be able to sprout wings and get away from myself and my feelings. i adore this song and can finally listen to it without being overcome with intense sadness. <3]

honorable mention to kevin abstract’s american boyfriend: a suburban love story and borns’ dopamine! they didn’t make it onto the list, but i’ve been alternating them since chi & maddy introduced me to them!!! my partner is probably going to throw himself into a snow bank if he has to hear runner or american money one more time lmao. but yeah i’m always looking for new music and new artists and i will give anything a shot so pls always tag me in these!!! <3 i’m gonna tag some of the best friends i’ve made this year- shout out to y’all for putting up with my ass and still wanting to talk to me?!?! y’all are amazing and i truly love you! @silverfoxlouis, @harrystinychristmasshorts, @lwtvibes, @fookoff, @lousongs, @horsegirlharry, @softgolfdaddy, @jlf23tumble, @protectlouandhazza, @heathenharry, @bibi-harry, @hazlouquitefinished, @wellingtontat, @goldbootsandvans, @harryisabean, @gimmieshelter, @mummyamy10, @bunnythevampirebot, @atasteforsuicidal, @becomeawendybird, & @rainbowguccci, bc tea has the best taste in music!!! <3 y’all have made my year so successful! thank you for being my place to escape when life has been rough and encouraging me to be open and be myself! and i’m finally getting back into writing!!!!!! i love you!

#music #ask meme #i'm sorry i tagged so many people lmao #but i want you all to know how much i love you and appreciate you #and i wanna listen to every single song y'all love!!!#may the new year bring you everything you desire and more!#ETA: if i have to edit this one more time to get everyone tagged i'mma scream i am a GRANDMOTHER I DONT KNOW HOW TECHNOLOGY WORKS LMAO #ETA 2: IT ATE MY READ MORE SO NOW YALL HAVE TO SUFFER I GUESS I'M SO SORRY

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barpurplewrites · 7 years ago

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Lost in a good book

Dark Castle Fluff for you today my spooky peeps.

-x-x-x-

Rumple was suspicious the second he returned to the Dark Castle. Belle hadn’t come to greet him. Normally no matter how carefully he tried to sneak in, she knew he had returned and came hurrying from whatever task she had been doing, eager to hear the tale of his latest deal. Well, he had only been away for a few hours, maybe she hadn’t expected him back so soon and was lost in a book.

He magicked the mud from his boots and slung his cloak over the table before going in search of his little maid. The Great Hall was empty, as was the kitchen, the library also held no Belle. As he tapped his claws together something caught his eye; lying open on the couch that he’d provided in an attempt to stop her sitting on tables was an open book, which was unusual because she was never this careless with books. He swore loudly when he picked it up and read the title. How in the hells had this ended up in here? He was sure he’d taken all the magical tomes to his tower before he made this room for Belle. In a rapid swirl of smoke he transported himself to the Great Hall; there was something he needed before he went to rescue his little maid from the mess she was no doubt in.

As he selected the fullest spool of finished gold thread from the basket by his wheel he tried to recall how many times he’d had to get his little maid out of trouble since she’d agreed to the terms of his deal. There’d been the kidnapping by the Queens of Darkness, the squid in the lake, several kitchen fires, the tumble from the ladder, and he didn’t even want to think about the spider incident. Honestly, she attracted danger like a candle flame attracted moths, but nothing yet had crushed her inquisitive spirit. If anything, she’d grown bolder since she’d been living with him, and that was a surprise, no one flourished near him. Now she had literally gotten herself lost in a book, and it had to be this bloody book, didn’t it?

It was the work of a moment to secure the spool to the wheel and tie the loose end to his waistcoat, he could have tied it around his wrist, but he wanted to have both hands free just in case things got messy. Considering where he was going messy was a very real possibility.

A flick of magic opened the book to the page Belle had gotten lost in. Rumple groaned and closed his eyes as he jumped. Had anyone been watching they would have seen Rumple leap a great height before his feet twisted sinuously at an impossibly angle as he disappeared into the book. The leather-bound tome slammed shut, and had there been an observer they could have read the words that adorned the cover; “Escher’s Realm”.

Rumple risked a quick glance around and groaned as the landscape shifted in an eye bending twist. He forced his eyes down to the slabs of sandstone beneath his feet and took a hesitant step forward. His senses were telling him that he was both going up an incline and going down a sharp drop. With gritted teeth he walked on trying to ignore everything apart from the ground as he saw it under his slowly moving feet.

“She said he would follow her.”

“Looks like she was right.”

He growled at the sound of the twin voices. His hand fumbled for the stone balustrade to his left, and he had to ignore the sensation that it was twisting away from him while moving towards him. His claws bit into the stone and he took a deep breath before he looked up to find the source of the voices.

Two faces hung in the air, the gaps between their spiral skins made them look as if they had been peeled in one long strip from an apple.

“Where is she?”

The faces converged and blended into one, before separating out once more releasing a burst of heavy looking spheres that floated improbably in the air.

“She is where everyone goes.”

“The Hall of Stairs.”

Rumple’s stomach flipped and for a moment he feared he might vomit. He inhaled sharply through his nose and forced the nausea away.

“Of course, that’s where she is, silly girl,” – he gave the heads a lacklustre wave in thanks.

He checked that the golden string was still firmly attached to the back of his waistcoat and edged forward. The landscape made a sickening twist through more than the sensible three dimensions and Rumple squinted up at the sky.

He exhaled slowly and muttered to himself; “Oh great, these guys.”

The scene before him was a checkerboard of black and white. At the point that his logical mind declared as the horizon fish shifted into birds, or birds shifted into fish, Rumple wasn’t sure, but he would rather that they would just decide on one form and stick to it.

“Which way?”

One of the fish-birds flap-flopped out of formation and hovered in front of Rumple.

“You are here for Belle? Of course you are. She is the Hall of Stairs, just around the Mobius Strip. Do you want a lift?”

Rumple would rather amputate his own leg with a cheese wire, but he pulled something approaching a polite smile onto his face and said; “I’ll take the walk, dearie.”

The bird-fish shrugged, which was an eye bleeding gesture for a creature that was constantly shifting forms, and flew-swam back to the flock-shoal. Rumple set off again and pondered on the fact that the fish-birds knew Belle’s name. It wasn’t that much of a surprise; his little maid would make a good impression on the grains of sand if she were dropped in the middle of the Endless Desert. He made a metal note to lock away the book on said desert when they got back to the castle, just in case Belle found a way to fall into that one. With a low groan he trudged on through the ever-shifting landscape.

The Mobius Strip was Rumple’s second least favourite portion of this damned realm. The curling ribbon stretched out in front of him looking as wrong to his eyes as everything else here. He took a slow breath and released his grip on the balustrade. There was only sensible way for him to do this was to close his eyes and stride forward while ignoring everything his sense tried to tell him. Belle had probably skipped across this damned thing while giggling. He grit his teeth and closed his eyes, pausing for a brief moment before rushing forward.

By the time he reached the other side he was gasping for breath. He slumped against the wall and hurriedly patted himself down to check that he was still solid. The Mobius Strip always made him feel like he’d been run through a mangle. Finding himself to be solid and three dimensional he opened his eyes and groaned. He was in the Hall of Stairs, his least favourite place in the Escher Realm.

A creature that was a cross between a woodlouse and a lizard rolled to a halt by his feet. It unwound itself and chirped at him. He reached down and gave it a pat on the head, he was quite fond of these creatures they were always so cheerful.

The click-clack of heels made him look up and he blanched as Belle stepped out of a doorway above his head and skipped down the stairs coming to a halt almost nose to nose with him. It would have been perfectly normally except that she was standing on what to him was the ceiling, smiling and looking perfectly content with the ridiculous gravity of this damn place. The louse-lizard rolled up and rolled away, up the wall and through a door way.

“Hello, Rumple. You’re home early. Did your deal go well?”

He stared at he for a moment, stunned by how close she was and how pretty she looked even upside down. He snapped his slack mouth closed only to open it again to speak; “The deal went well, but imagine my surprise when I returned home and found no tea waiting for me.”

It wasn’t his best snark, even to his own ears his voice sounded fond. Belle smiled and bopped him on the nose, making his eyes cross as he followed her finger.

“If you hadn’t have been so early I would have had tea ready.”

Rumple crossed his arms over his chest; “And how would you have managed that trapped within this bloody book?”

She laughed at him, actually giggled at him, like he wasn’t the Dark One and perfectly capable of turning her into a toad.

“I’m not trapped silly. I know the way home.”

“What! How? Why?”

“It’s fun here.”

Rumple pinched the bridge of his nose with a sigh, and muttered something about foolish maids. Belle huffed; “I didn’t break our deal. I haven’t really left the castle now have I?”

He cocked an eyebrow at her, the deal hadn’t even crossed his mind. Belle had never made any attempt to run away, so he’d just assumed she’d gotten herself into danger again. Trust did not come easily to Rumple, it took him a moment to recognize the feeling; he trusted Belle. It was a strange sensation, so he deliberately ignored it for now.

“Since I am parched, do you think you have frolicked enough? Can we get back to the castle for tea now?”

She gave him a sunny smile; “Of course.”

Belle jumped up for her, down for him, and Rumple’s heart froze in his chest as she turned in the air. He lunged forward and grabbed her, convinced that she was going to tumble away from him and crash into the slabs above and below them. Belle, now the right way up from his point of view, stumbled against his chest with a giggle. Rumple had had quite enough of this ruddy place, with one arm firmly around Belle’s waist he reached behind him and yanked on the golden cord tied to the back of his waistcoat. He just had time to move his arm back to cradle Belle’s head before the magic took hold and whipped them out of the book and back into the Dark Castle.

Rumple moaned in pain as they twisted back through the realm and snapped out of the book. He was sure he was going to be sick now. With a gut churning popping sensation, they flew out of the book and Rumple’s back crashed into his spinning wheel. All thoughts of vomiting vanished from as he found himself with an armful of giggling Belle plastered to his front.

“Well that was fast. We could have just walked through the door you know.”

He stared at her for a few long seconds and finally remembered himself enough to gently pushed her onto her feet and put some space between them.

“Yes, well, I’m very thirsty and that was quicker.”

Belle looked as if she didn’t believe a word of it, but smiled and said; “I’ll go and make the tea.”

As she strolled away to the kitchen Rumple untangled himself for the spool of gold he’d used as a safety line and stared thoughtfully at the book. He had been thinking he would lock it up in his tower, but Belle seemed to enjoy Escher’s Realm, strange girl. With a wave of his hand he sent the book back to her library. There were worse places to have to go to find his maid when he wanted a cup of tea. His eyes widened at that thought. He took the stairs to the library two at a time, muttering the titles of the books he needed to remove before Belle found them and got herself lost somewhere dangerous.

#halloween house of horror 2017 #rumbelle fic #dark castle fluff

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ganymedesclock · 8 years ago

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Mary Sue Keith anon here. What I meant by "special snowflake origin story" is his being a mysterious alien foundling with ties to empire and rebellion. The writers are giving Keith all the toys powers wise AND major story connection wise while Pidge, Hunk, and Lance get barely anything aside from like, befriending one random alien race each (Olkari, Balmera, mermaids). I'm afraid of this becoming the Specialest Boy Keith Show feat. Shiro and Allura

(2/2) Keith and Shiro and Allura absolutely are special snowflakes compared to Pidge, Hunk, and Lance, regular unpowered humans. Pidge at least has the story with her family but oops wait Shiro will be the one to find Matt.

...I’m kind of at a loss here, anon. I feel like we haven’t been watching the same show. So let’s just. Let’s crack out the highlight reel here shall we?

Pidge is an incredible prodigy who not only effortlessly integrated with alien technology, something nobody else on the team, including Keith and Shiro, were able to do and this was explicitly noted and commented on.

She also personally retook the Castle near-singlehandedly while Keith could do nothing but sit on his butt outside the barrier and Shiro was held hostage. Facing career soldiers. How did that go again? “Haxus is dead and you’re next!”

And was integral to reuniting the team after the season one finale and unsubtly saved Coran and Allura from the wormhole loop, where they were completely helpless.

And “this thing with her family” happened to involve repeatedly breaking into a literal military base, at age fourteen, without a whole arsenal of spy gadgetry, and after getting literally banned from being anywhere near said base to try and stop her from getting in, constructed an entire fake identity using stuff around her house and joined as a student, pretty clearly testing ahead of her grade level.

Oh, right, and what was she doing when we first saw her? Just eavesdropping on alien transmissions. It’s okay Galra empire it’s not your encryption, it’s just the fact that Pidge is a terrifying technological wizard and no one can keep her out of anything, ever. Seriously, show me an algorithm in show that Pidge didn’t crack while not being able to read galran or altean.

Also she jailbroke the Green Lion. Let me just reiterate that: Pidge took a piece of ancient magical technology that is probably actually a living creature in a mechanical shell and was like “I’m going to make you turn invisible.” and this was such a goshdanged non-issue we didn’t even see Pidge do it onscreen. Just took a leisurely afternoon and made a giant metal Lion able to completely disappear because she studied one piece of technology with the power to hide itself in one setting. Which has been plot relevant multiple times that the team

Actively ran the entire show on the Beta Traz mission, she was giving Lance and Shiro the orders.

She’s also basically Voltron’s designated getaway driver even though as she pointed out in episode 1 she’s literally never had a day of pilot training in her life.

Lance was pretty clearly the second best pilot behind Keith. “Clockie,” you might say, “that’s not impressive.” Yeah except Keith seems to be pretty much Spiderman, remember the druid fight in s1e10? Keith can tell where things are relative to him without looking. He has literal superhuman reflexes. Lance competed with this person. And did great. The reason why we see him crash in the simulator is because he misjudges the time it takes for his ship to pull around, it has nothing to do with his sense of the controls. Keith called him the worst pilot at a point where Lance wasn’t doing anything, Blue was just having a nice gallop.

Speaking of which it’s made explicitly clear Blue is totally ignoring both Shiro and Keith. We haven’t even heard a whisper of the Black or Red Lions at that point, just Blue, and Blue is specifically here for Lance and only Lance, can’t give anyone else the time of day.

(and it’s not like Blue made a wormhole when none of the other Lions did. Good thing THAT’S not going to be plot relevant ever, clearly)

I’m a little intrigued by your claim that Lance “made friends with” the mermaids and that it’s just comparable to the Balmera or Olkari. Because that’s sure not how I remember that episode. I seem to remember Lance saving their entire civilization nearly alone (just him and the rebels), figuring out that their enemy wasn’t who they thought it was, making the right decision to hear Luxia out at a key moment, and having to outmaneuver Hunk, who was holding absolutely nothing back, and defeat him without injuring him. Cause... y’know... on the Balmera and Olkarion, there was a minor thing of Pidge and Hunk had the whole rest of the team right there backing them up.

It is not remotely an exaggeration to say Lance can hit a target the size of a dime while falling backwards in zero gravity when the person he’s shooting at has a thrashing hostage and if Lance shoots wrong he could easily kill said hostage and doom the entire mission and Lance said “I’ve got this” with zero hesitation, took a breath and went for it in a way that suggests Lance, the chronically insecure, is so unbelievably good at this it didn’t even occur to him to hesitate. This is the gunslinging equivalent of “could hit a perfect bullseye and then split the arrow with your next shot and then split that arrow with the shot after that.” Just “I’ve got this.” and he did.

Earth means the most to Lance as it’s his home and pretty inevitably the conflict is going to go there.

Also, minor technicality but he saved Coran’s life and the team’s darkest, most desperate hour, the fall of the Castle, was centered around Lance being in critical condition, which doesn’t exactly make sense as a writing decision unless he’s sort of completely integral to how things operate.

Which happened because he was able to in less than five seconds tell two identical robots apart from each other because one was acting the wrong way. And then he woke up during his own rescue and hit Sendak square in center mass while so heavily injured he could barely stay conscious.

Hunk is pretty blatantly Alfor’s successor and there’s no way in hell that isn’t going to be a plot point, just for starters.

He’s also a brilliant engineer who has brought us quality moments such as “well there’s an element that doesn’t exist on Earth and I have absolutely no possible experience with it and we’re in a desert shack with limited tools but I could totally just build a machine to find it no problem,” and “hotwiring this alien mine elevator while under fire is so trivial that I won’t even stop complaining or look at what I’m doing more than the occasional sidelong glance. And I’m done, about that quickly.”

And a world-class chef that has been shown that with a single exception where he accidentally used an inedible ingredient (and ended up saving everyone’s lives because of it) on account of not being able to read any of the packaging, everything he makes is delicious and in Space Mall he was such an instant hit that practically everyone shopping wanted to eat there. And incidentally, one of those wild cooking successes he just barged out into an alien planet and was able to successfully identify and classify what was edible. But clearly that doesn’t take any talent or effort at all right, I’m sure any rube could do the same.

Hunk was the main man rescuing the Balmera, and it’s not like the Balmerans are longstanding allies or were integral to the plan in season 2. Or like in Ark of Taujeer, he held up that colossal thing singlehandedly several times to the point that he awakened a new ability doing it.

His weapon is a colossal artillery piece that probably weighs about as much as a good-sized dairy calf and he can and has held it one-handed with a relaxed arm.

He was the main person rescuing Allura in s1e11 and they then bailed out Shiro.

On that note: the list of things Hunk has stared down and picked a fight with includes Haggar, and a literal gigantic planet-eating monster with a death laser. The latter he volunteered to fight, utterly unprompted, and got mad at it for ignoring him.

The same episode Keith specifically stated that Hunk’s intelligence was integral to their survival. Hunk also figured out basically everything about how the Weblum worked.

During the mermaid arc it was made pretty dang clear that a Hunk not holding back could probably destroy each of the other paladins in single combat. If Lance hadn’t had that antidote fish with him he would have been dead, and he was just lucky Hunk kept it to close combat and didn’t pull out his bayard. As it was he just bodily threw Lance around like the guy was made of tissue paper.

And just as a followup I’ll say: This show has seven protagonists. Are we really forgetting this quickly that in season 1 Keith was very much on the back burner and didn’t get a single episode centered on him except maybe s1e10 which he was actively splitting with Shiro and Allura?

Can we maybe trust Dreamworks and Studio Mir of all people to know how to balance a dang cast?

Especially when you’re sorting Pidge with the “people who got utterly shafted” and Allura with the “people who have everything” but I’ve heard the exact same complaint talking about how Shiro, Keith, and Pidge get all the plots and Allura is someone who gets sold short.

I really can never... get complaints like this. There’s plenty to work with for all the core team, and if you want someone who really hasn’t been developed and remains pretty dang mysterious to us throughout seasons 1 and 2 both, I’d say Coran is a huge candidate in that regard considering dude’s a 600-year-old magical alien and we’ve got peanuts on his history at this point, but almost nobody even mentions him in their diatribes that Lance isn’t getting enough love.

(Which, frankly, my sympathy’s a little dry at this point considering Lance is the fandom darling and you can’t walk five steps into most fanwork without tripping on the kid. But, sure, tell me there’s not nearly enough there for him.)

#voltron legendary defender #vld #Lance #Hunk #Pidge #readmore #Clockie's grumbling don't mind me #Anonymous

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movies-are-magic · 8 years ago

Text

Jupiter Ascending - pt.2

You can find the other parts here:

part 1 part 3

WARNING: Contains heavy spoilers. If you have not seen the movie, chances are that this text will be difficult to understand.

Cinderella stories have been around for as long as women have been blocked from having the same chances for social ascendance as men. Still, Jupiter Ascending is not one of them, although called like that even by its creators, and it is no fairytale. It names the story right in the beginning, immediately revealing it to be rubbish when a woman of ridiculous riches calls herself a Cinderella. We see Jupiter’s face in reaction to that statement, and it is spot-on.

Jupiter is not an unloved wrench who escapes being exploited by her family by binding herself to an aristocrat she has only met for some minutes. She never openly questions that she actually loves her family, no matter what time they make her get up in the morning, because she knows very well that it is the only way for them all to make a living. It is Jupiter who turns out to be that aristocrat, the sought-after hand in marriage, even the queen godmother. She is not the good girl from the fairytales who endures everything, is prettier than all no matter how much hard work and lack of food she has to put up with, and has the purest of hearts. Jupiter is the woman who complains, who says no, who hits hard when she’s angry, who does what she thinks is right, who is paralysed by shock, who admits her fears, and then tries to find ways around those. She is imperfect, and that is shown as normal. She is the heroine with the seemingly magical DNA, and she is allowed to be so, and stay the heroine of the movie. When people want to marry her… well. Not a good idea.

Jupiter’s story rather resembles the legends of centuries before as that being one of a journey, full of sidetracks with seemingly little point except that this is how stories used to work and journeys still do: with countless minor characters developed in great detail, let them be headhunters, administration androids, or professors of mathematics now dusting shelves. With many different worlds, so many little things added and changed and taken out, all that little rubble in myriads of offices, people who could be humans, animals, Cyborgs, robots, or all at once. And at the center of the narrative, three tasks the heroine has to solve if she wants to become the queen she is supposed to be.

The fairytale might have been turned into a lot of shapes through the ages, but certainly has Cinderella never been the genetic reincarnation of the prince’s mother, nor did she have to defend against suitors. From the very first moment Jupiter finds out who she is in Kalique’s castle, she is fascinated by the beauty and abundance of her new-found clan, but at the same time scared, even freaked-out. She never truly falls for it. This is the luxury she has dreamt of, but she immediately understands that it cannot be that dream she has been dreaming, and is cautious accordingly. As she is also introduced right away to the reasons for her introduction into that world – being the reincarnation of a murdered Abrasax matriarch – Jupiter knows that she is in murky water.

When the three Abrasax heirs try to lure in their mother’s genetic copy in their very own ways, Jupiter gets a clear picture of what family means to these aliens. It is a mix of aristocratism and blunt economics, the family clan being defined through a universe-crossing enterprise built on marketing a most inhumane product. Just as much as these humans from other planets can’t find empathy for those humans they compare to cattle, being related to each other means nothing to them. Being fully aware of what it means when a planet is ‘harvested’, they try to justify it to each other, or maybe that is just good taste in their society. As much as they keep insisting how much they loved their mother, that love seems to be nothing but a lie, both to Jupiter and to themselves. They are not even that interested in making profits, although they keep talking about little else. The thing that is most important to them is themselves: their ego, their status. Winning over each other.

Interesting enough, we are never introduced to the siblings’ father(s). While their mother is worshipped like a goddess, other members of the family are never mentioned. We are not even told that mother’s name, as if that was not necessary for there was only one. Given that this person is said to have lived for 91,000 years, maybe that is not so far from the truth. Still, when the reptile alien comes to Jupiter’s family, he identifies the clan with the words ‘This is the mother’, as if nothing else were required for proof.

What with all the obvious hints, it is not difficult to draw parallels between this worldbuilding and bee hives. In a hive, the queen bee matters to every individual in the whole clan, not the other way ‘round. While the other female bees have their raison d’être in keeping the hive functioning, the drones do little more than impregnating the queen bee (which happens once in her life, before she forms her state), and do a bit of defence. Funny enough, Jupiter Ascending does not just pick up that idea, it plays with it.

The bees recognising Jupiter are still the funniest, if most fairytale-like expression of that trope. It happens right in the beginning, when Jupiter learns of her role for the very first time, and when it’s still all sunshine and flowers and Stinger’s lovingly messy old house. She quickly realises that this is not her place, and that it’s a dangerous, uncanny position, one she never asked for and certainly does not want. Who then are the Abrasax heirs? Kalique, the only woman, plays her spiel, but stays much more passive than the men. It could be a symbol for how even in that apparently advanced society, women still hold back where it comes to economy. Or is there something else? Is Kalique a working bee in the end, who knows she can never be a queen? Who finds her purpose somewhere else, thus staying more sane than her two brothers, if still nobody you’d trust so far as to lend them a penny?

Let us swing over to Titus, who is rendered dotingly as the nightmare version of Prince Charming. He leaves nothing untried to come into Jupiter’s inheritance, which he has had an eye on for some time because of its sheer value, and even plans to kill her. Both he and Kalique are shown as incredibly vain, but where Kalique is content with her own presence in luxurious surroundings of dreamy aesthetics, Titus boasts with beauty, including a spaceship with golden statues embedded in its hull, and a zero-gravity place that speaks of a rather short… self-esteem.

These elaborate set designs have brought the movie a lot of criticism, although you just need to look at rich people’s houses and you’ll realise that this is exactly what that guy’s yacht would look like in our society. Besides, if you live for tens of thousands of years, you redecorate a tad more often, usually ending up with something even more ridiculous than you had before. People don’t change with age, they only become more of themselves, and in Titus’ case of narcissism, that means gigantic golden artwork on the outside of his spaceship, and a chapel that certainly wasn’t built for the worship of anyone but himself. Titus likes to consume by exploiting people, noticeably women. The dresses he chooses for Jupiter – a black leather robe at their dinner, and the Christmas tree ensemble for their wedding – speak of that. Dressing Jupiter is something both he and Kalique do, but where Caine gave Jupiter back her own look, the two style her like a doll.

It is not coincidence that Jupiter asks for a modest overall whenever she is on board of the Aegis spaceship, nor that she does point out her wish for having agency in the question of dressing. It is a common trope in almost every genre to show the heroine suddenly dressed like a princess with perfect hair and make-up, in some kind of key scene for her ‘development’ and that of the romance – as if a woman could only become her full self once she looks like a Photoshop advertisement, and only then be discovered as someone worth loving. In this movie, the dress-up game only ever happens when manipulative, murderous aliens start it, which is why the over-the-top dresses and styles are so apt, and so beautifully ugly. Still, the camera does not play the Abrasax game: Jupiter is always depicted covered and without exploiting zooms. Just as she has agency throughout the story, and gains more and more of it, the picture language focuses on this agency or hers. Notice also that whenever she is entirely herself, wearing the Aegis outfit she chose, so does Caine. Particularly during the showdown, they are dressed alike.

One might say that while being completely off any scale of morals, Balem is probably the most straight-forward Abrasax. He hardly lies as much as the other two, but that is more or less his only quality. His huge inferiority complexes, tied to an unhealthy attachment to his mother, combine to a largely dysfunctional personality drunk with ego-problems and the hunger for ever more power and wealth, just as his hate for himself grows. Balem’s whole existence is to make himself bigger, richer, and more powerful than anyone else, because deep down inside he feels so inferior to, I guess, his mother. He even states that he creates life, and that he takes it, immediately comparing life with economic consummation. As religion is never mentioned (although Balem’s place shows aspects of Gothic church architecture), it is safe to say that Balem would give a lot to have the physical powers of a woman, without ever admitting so, and therefore hates all those who are. He is the only one surrounded by all-male servants, except for the snail- or snake-like creature who pulls his chariot with an expression of suffering. He fully makes himself believe that his overabundance of privilege is his full right, and that makes Balem purely evil, unabashedly shown.

Still, while he does throw his tantrums, in all his actions he is always driven to his goals, always has reasons, and never loses that cold-blooded focus on economic profit the Abrasax siblings live off. You could also argue that this openly bad villain is just too much, but think of this: if this were any other movie, Jupiter would be introduced to both brothers, without the ‘you look like Mom’ grossing-out, find both of them hawt, but smiley Titus is so much better and brooding Balem is ugh. Then Titus would turn out to be a cheater and Balem the actual heartthrob with the sad background story whom she’d finally marry in the last scene.

Not in this movie, ladies and gents. What our good Jupiter does is post a tax inquiry against one of those morons, hit the other multiple times, and run away with the dog.

Also, for those who keep complaining that there is no chemistry between the two: if he follows you through hours and hours of bureaucratic nonsense, it is love.

Hope to see you around for the third and final part!

#Jupiter Ascending #movie analysis

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